https://bttrstories.com BTTR Stories Tue, 12 May 2020 18:07:01 +0000 https://bttrstories.com en https://bttrstories.com/Splash-Page Sun, 29 Oct 2017 11:51:07 +0000 BTTR Stories https://bttrstories.com/Splash-Page BTTR&nbsp; Stories&gt;&gt; Scroll down for STORIES &amp; PODCASTS &lt;&lt; CONVERSATIONS WITH CHANGEMAKERS Episode 2 &nbsp;Das Baumhaus | Scott ↓ PLACES are opening up new realms for action, creativity, education and exchange.&nbsp;PEOPLE are doing inspiring and exciting things. BTTR is where their STORIES are told. https://bttrstories.com/Episode-2-Scott-from-Das-Baumhaus Tue, 12 May 2020 18:07:01 +0000 BTTR Stories https://bttrstories.com/Episode-2-Scott-from-Das-Baumhaus Episode 2 Conversations with Changemakers— Scott from Das Baumhaus Exciting events and insightful workshops, community networking nights and creative up-cycling collaborations—Das Baumhaus is a Berlin-based platform for people who want to make the world a better place. In this ever-evolving space, people and projects from a broad variety of backgrounds come together to meet, inspire and empower each other. In doing so, they contribute to the transition to a more sustainable world. In this episode, I talk to Das Baumhaus Co-Founder Scott Bolden about the space’s past, present and future endeavours. We also dive a little deeper into Das Baumhaus’s P.E.A.C.E.S. of sustainable development (scroll down for more info). Enjoy! Listen to: &gt; Episode 2 on Spotify ︎&nbsp; &gt; Episode 2 on Apple Podcasts&nbsp; &gt; Episode 2 on Stitcher &gt; Episode 2 on Podbean Visit baumhausberlin.de Follow facebook.com/baumhausberlin | @baumhausberlin <img width="1944" height="1296" width_o="1944" height_o="1296" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1deff75be8e896ae85b5a6611dc94cfde7a6a7c310125d1740af814fe6966039/73446208_2405439616235597_8386907502188429312_o.jpg" data-mid="70730108" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1deff75be8e896ae85b5a6611dc94cfde7a6a7c310125d1740af814fe6966039/73446208_2405439616235597_8386907502188429312_o.jpg" /> “We want to contribute locally to an attractive culture of change. With social and ecological crises accelerating, civil society’s collaboration and creativity for democracy, sustainability and solidarity seems more crucial than ever. For that, we think, we need more spaces for meaningful engagement, where we can meet, support each other and collaborate, transforming our neighborhoods and cities.” - Das Baumhaus Co-Founders, Scott &amp; Karen <img width="300" height="200" width_o="300" height_o="200" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/66decddc848323ac7f2b77d935d5f79347bd6fd733eac2cc4c977d24e2bef8b9/BH_Portraits-34-300x200.jpg" data-mid="70729171" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/300/i/66decddc848323ac7f2b77d935d5f79347bd6fd733eac2cc4c977d24e2bef8b9/BH_Portraits-34-300x200.jpg" /> Scott Bolden Passionate about:&nbsp; design, engineering, social art projects, music social sustainability, community-building events <img width="300" height="198" width_o="300" height_o="198" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/42214c06a89ca0d4d976cffcd5a1b4304cc89a8ec93bf0d3a5495264e652dcce/BH_Portraits-56-300x198.jpg" data-mid="70729172" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/300/i/42214c06a89ca0d4d976cffcd5a1b4304cc89a8ec93bf0d3a5495264e652dcce/BH_Portraits-56-300x198.jpg" /> Karen Wohlert Passionate about:&nbsp; saving the world, philosophy, social movements,&nbsp; the art of living as an actor of change <img width="1944" height="1296" width_o="1944" height_o="1296" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/32def2bd8d7f0aaf527f47ac4495009e7c866216a3dc3d3aa4ddbc53db4810b6/60575517_2095268617252700_7716010997550415872_o.jpg" data-mid="70729991" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/32def2bd8d7f0aaf527f47ac4495009e7c866216a3dc3d3aa4ddbc53db4810b6/60575517_2095268617252700_7716010997550415872_o.jpg" /> <img width="1944" height="1296" width_o="1944" height_o="1296" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/30116f17f5caebcf8c448315864356676c7b97d0cd1fd655929b0c17db7118a7/74341181_2405399322906293_5873234053473239040_o.jpg" data-mid="70730109" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/30116f17f5caebcf8c448315864356676c7b97d0cd1fd655929b0c17db7118a7/74341181_2405399322906293_5873234053473239040_o.jpg" /> Das Baumhaus has established itself as a local hub for P.E.A.C.E.S. of sustainable development. In their day-to-day work, Scott and Karen strive to bring together perspectives at Das Baumhaus that are: Personal&nbsp;︎Who am I, where am I at in my life, where do I want to be and how do I get there? How can we take care of ourselves so that we can live more balanced and satisfying lives?Ecologic&nbsp;︎ How can we live in balance with the ecosystem and protect life on this planet? Aesthetic&nbsp;︎ How can we understand and be in touch with the many ways it’s possible to sense the world, each other and ourselves?Cultural ︎ How can we appreciate and learn from our differences but also focus on what we have in common? Economic ︎ How can we shift our values and advance towards more balanced, zero waste and humane ways of production and consumption? Social ︎How can we communicate with each other effectively enough to understand each other and work collaboratively to support each other? Listen to the podcast to learn more (links up top)! <img width="1944" height="1296" width_o="1944" height_o="1296" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6d42ed54df42c6b83fcad470e0dfa3e6e9199b87650bfe43e6576663d1a6741c/70317284_2307098019403091_7559414797721141248_o.jpg" data-mid="70730106" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6d42ed54df42c6b83fcad470e0dfa3e6e9199b87650bfe43e6576663d1a6741c/70317284_2307098019403091_7559414797721141248_o.jpg" /> <img width="1944" height="1296" width_o="1944" height_o="1296" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/82d328f25f334c2651728c94c8ddba2203a4ddff123fa4d391cef374a76a6496/71698859_2307097849403108_462923373438042112_o.jpg" data-mid="70730107" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/82d328f25f334c2651728c94c8ddba2203a4ddff123fa4d391cef374a76a6496/71698859_2307097849403108_462923373438042112_o.jpg" /> <img width="1944" height="1296" width_o="1944" height_o="1296" 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data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9125a637eba94c9fe1ed84bf2d2df91c0f4ab777c425ba962a1ddde1cb8b85e9/93771414_2758504404262448_8947620881455120384_o.jpg" data-mid="70731017" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9125a637eba94c9fe1ed84bf2d2df91c0f4ab777c425ba962a1ddde1cb8b85e9/93771414_2758504404262448_8947620881455120384_o.jpg" /> <img width="1944" height="1296" width_o="1944" height_o="1296" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9bb7ef8ddc91d814d6b710bab431bf4c7fc66b50a6611f34d7afc0046f0037d8/93652176_2758508807595341_962368357032525824_o.jpg" data-mid="70747200" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9bb7ef8ddc91d814d6b710bab431bf4c7fc66b50a6611f34d7afc0046f0037d8/93652176_2758508807595341_962368357032525824_o.jpg" /> <img width="1944" height="1296" width_o="1944" height_o="1296" 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data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0dce9aeea43b2aaec541158a4c295d523d018b91a7d88e6bf57bcaa5b4118bc9/93652182_2758513497594872_3473869815016325120_o.jpg" data-mid="70730270" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0dce9aeea43b2aaec541158a4c295d523d018b91a7d88e6bf57bcaa5b4118bc9/93652182_2758513497594872_3473869815016325120_o.jpg" /> <img width="1944" height="1296" width_o="1944" height_o="1296" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ad448a840d0357b0a1dae58204421cc7f4f43cfaeb0a8f4d161ee5cd65cffe9d/93776717_2758514564261432_7176229626732085248_o.jpg" data-mid="70746825" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ad448a840d0357b0a1dae58204421cc7f4f43cfaeb0a8f4d161ee5cd65cffe9d/93776717_2758514564261432_7176229626732085248_o.jpg" /> <img width="1944" height="1296" width_o="1944" height_o="1296" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1aae4ca3f560286de2d0939b88d01175dcbea6de62a0bc58272018a3c3c78ea0/54798772_2021445927968303_7012655367767195648_o.jpg" data-mid="70746730" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1aae4ca3f560286de2d0939b88d01175dcbea6de62a0bc58272018a3c3c78ea0/54798772_2021445927968303_7012655367767195648_o.jpg" /> <img width="1944" height="1296" width_o="1944" height_o="1296" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c887719f2adb021b56ee4cecdfd73d1d0f7cb51611a2f97d2c9bdf1cc2434fc0/80321632_2478808445565380_7335168791350870016_o.jpg" data-mid="70747917" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c887719f2adb021b56ee4cecdfd73d1d0f7cb51611a2f97d2c9bdf1cc2434fc0/80321632_2478808445565380_7335168791350870016_o.jpg" /> <img width="1944" height="1296" width_o="1944" height_o="1296" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d3887c29caf38899a5298b43d28e05b6ed9d2a9d742feff41047e8da0f066e4c/65133786_2156859914426903_425873263260860416_o.jpg" data-mid="70730105" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d3887c29caf38899a5298b43d28e05b6ed9d2a9d742feff41047e8da0f066e4c/65133786_2156859914426903_425873263260860416_o.jpg" /> <img width="1944" height="1296" width_o="1944" height_o="1296" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/86b6dfc94365f41ee987bcb42770a85085c10f855a1fe0a4b80fe70eac4f0683/75224666_2405462872899938_5746887445748645888_o.jpg" data-mid="70730327" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/86b6dfc94365f41ee987bcb42770a85085c10f855a1fe0a4b80fe70eac4f0683/75224666_2405462872899938_5746887445748645888_o.jpg" /><img width="1944" height="1296" width_o="1944" height_o="1296" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/29ccddf3e5ce99521b857d43df2c64894f436e6617a0e9e28e68cdbe962390ed/93661479_2758514620928093_1057756943566766080_o.jpg" data-mid="70747190" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/29ccddf3e5ce99521b857d43df2c64894f436e6617a0e9e28e68cdbe962390ed/93661479_2758514620928093_1057756943566766080_o.jpg" /> <img width="1944" height="1296" width_o="1944" height_o="1296" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d771d0eb30cbc01053e779303d00a45a76bb2f2b7b69b86b2d30852032ae3e76/76693277_2405431519569740_6745703376291364864_o.jpg" data-mid="70728917" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d771d0eb30cbc01053e779303d00a45a76bb2f2b7b69b86b2d30852032ae3e76/76693277_2405431519569740_6745703376291364864_o.jpg" /> <img width="1944" height="1296" width_o="1944" height_o="1296" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/eacc1848b1d90d15702310f35076269ac74c8335e7860f392d782cd9c40daca8/74580332_2405444042901821_1043795112989032448_o.jpg" data-mid="70730110" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/eacc1848b1d90d15702310f35076269ac74c8335e7860f392d782cd9c40daca8/74580332_2405444042901821_1043795112989032448_o.jpg" /> Interview: Maia FrazierPhotography: Das Baumhaus About BTTR’s Conversations with ChangemakersIn Conversations with Changemakers, I seek out inspiring places and people. People who look back, but think forward; people who gaze within while reaching out. With sustainability as the overarching theme, the topics in this podcast vary greatly between episodes. I hope to touch upon thoughts and ignite ideas that inspire and empower us all to make better choices in our everyday lives. I am not an expert. Just like you, I am a curious listener. And I am excited to see where this journey will take us. Sit back and tune in—there’s something for everyone! Next&nbsp;︎ https://bttrstories.com/Episode-1-Tash-from-AvantGardenLife Fri, 10 Apr 2020 14:41:17 +0000 BTTR Stories https://bttrstories.com/Episode-1-Tash-from-AvantGardenLife Episode 1 Conversations with Changemakers— Tash from AvantGardenLife AvantGardenLife concentrates on the practices of sustainable wildcrafting, foraging, regional herbalism, intuitive cooking, and nature protection in Berlin and Brandenburg. &gt; Listen to Episode 1 on Spotify&nbsp;︎ &gt; Listen to Episode 1 on Apple Podcasts&nbsp; &gt; Listen to Edpisode 1 on Stitcher &gt; Listen to Episode 1 on Podbean <img width="4096" height="2721" width_o="4096" height_o="2721" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ff4715d28ec02af7ba8f48dc26761826ee225cef9c61fe4f5babd4c846a81b99/ACS_0770.JPG" data-mid="66975012" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ff4715d28ec02af7ba8f48dc26761826ee225cef9c61fe4f5babd4c846a81b99/ACS_0770.JPG" /> Through hands-on workshops, forest walks, art installations, cooking sessions, creative recipes, and fermented products, AvantGardenLife co-creators, Tash and Miriam, are intent on helping people take control of their personal health and the health of their environment. Focusing on sustainability, circularity, and edible regional plants, their main aim is to bring herbalism and food back to the traditional grassroots methods of gathering and preparing. The duo sources and collects everything they work with from their shared garden in Strausberg, the surrounding forests, local farmers or on their many travels. Visit: avantgardenlife.comFollow: @avantgarden.life <img width="2048" height="1463" width_o="2048" height_o="1463" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f41c712c05f90e1fc7153a2f1bf5974bf3b3e8f4f07938bec7c55d3203db5e09/AvantGardenLifeanalogue_WebHQ_10.jpg" data-mid="66976130" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f41c712c05f90e1fc7153a2f1bf5974bf3b3e8f4f07938bec7c55d3203db5e09/AvantGardenLifeanalogue_WebHQ_10.jpg" /> <img width="2048" height="1371" width_o="2048" height_o="1371" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/52f4c0304bd87153e4110236543adac43a98a61a79a49daa394b327b6152f200/AvantGardenLifeanalogue_WebHQ_20.jpg" data-mid="66976475" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/52f4c0304bd87153e4110236543adac43a98a61a79a49daa394b327b6152f200/AvantGardenLifeanalogue_WebHQ_20.jpg" /> <img width="2048" height="1372" width_o="2048" height_o="1372" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/23c62de91b85e3e2a69983c3c4ee3cd6ac53b9bc5eb51cbfa023ab96890d4794/AvantGardenLifeanalogue_WebHQ_24.jpg" data-mid="66976476" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/23c62de91b85e3e2a69983c3c4ee3cd6ac53b9bc5eb51cbfa023ab96890d4794/AvantGardenLifeanalogue_WebHQ_24.jpg" /> <img width="3024" height="4032" width_o="3024" height_o="4032" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5b2d031f5f1ce51c8119b61a724e1bc7f8a9c76b16575b6c32d230b71e889104/ACS_0773.JPG" data-mid="66974788" border="0" data-scale="94" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/5b2d031f5f1ce51c8119b61a724e1bc7f8a9c76b16575b6c32d230b71e889104/ACS_0773.JPG" /> <img width="1440" height="1800" width_o="1440" height_o="1800" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/bdf7d67c030caab831dcbed70ade20891b55a1fdc2273704aed9661c01b895e7/tash.JPG" data-mid="66975013" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/bdf7d67c030caab831dcbed70ade20891b55a1fdc2273704aed9661c01b895e7/tash.JPG" /> <img width="4928" height="3264" width_o="4928" height_o="3264" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/db3e718dc5fc9203eeb42f1a0291c5f49635fd1677c28a474c343cc92deaa2aa/1.jpg" data-mid="66976526" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/db3e718dc5fc9203eeb42f1a0291c5f49635fd1677c28a474c343cc92deaa2aa/1.jpg" /> <img width="4928" height="3264" width_o="4928" height_o="3264" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ce9e367efbc76d8fb1fb4015c4fdf074334a79918ce8e726e35b6258d6d133fa/tash_medical_herb.jpg" data-mid="66976752" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ce9e367efbc76d8fb1fb4015c4fdf074334a79918ce8e726e35b6258d6d133fa/tash_medical_herb.jpg" /> <img width="5616" height="3744" width_o="5616" height_o="3744" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/24e57f6025eb6412b63d6089717c2c21bc18de7d7000dd2acdce06d70f67d804/tash4.jpg" data-mid="66976754" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/24e57f6025eb6412b63d6089717c2c21bc18de7d7000dd2acdce06d70f67d804/tash4.jpg" /> <img width="4096" height="2721" width_o="4096" height_o="2721" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/25500137d18431dc7edebd5e93f5082f28a58e0ae1a739edd5cf67f11d980ee5/inside.JPG" data-mid="66974777" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/25500137d18431dc7edebd5e93f5082f28a58e0ae1a739edd5cf67f11d980ee5/inside.JPG" /> Interview: Maia FrazierPhotography:&nbsp;Nina Martini (1, 5, 6, 9) |&nbsp;Sam Seseman (2, 3 &amp; 4) |&nbsp;Daniel Kula (7 &amp; 8 ) About BTTR’s Conversations with ChangemakersIn Conversations with Changemakers, I seek out inspiring places and people. People who look back, but think forward; people who gaze within while reaching out. With sustainability as the overarching theme, the topics in this podcast vary greatly between episodes. I hope to touch upon thoughts and ignite ideas that inspire and empower us all to make better choices in our everyday lives. I am not an expert. Just like you, I am a curious listener. And I am excited to see where this journey will take us. Sit back and tune in—there’s something for everyone! Next&nbsp;︎ https://bttrstories.com/Chapter-8-Terra-Alta Wed, 13 Nov 2019 18:17:24 +0000 BTTR Stories https://bttrstories.com/Chapter-8-Terra-Alta Chapter 8TERRA ALTA Terra Alta is a permaculture design education centre on two hectares of land nestled in the foothills of Sintra Mountains. A dusty dirt path leads us downhill, out of the tiny Portuguese village of Ulgueira. The sun’s sweltering rays beat down on the Iberian landscape while the last sips of water splash around at the bottom of our bottle. The Atlantic Coast is clearly recognisable only a few kilometres further on the horizon—reassurance that we are headed in the right direction. Hidden around a bend, behind a dense cluster of cane, a sturdy wooden gate marks the entrance to Terra Alta. The property is not that hard to find, and yet somehow still easy to miss. We lift the latch and enter into a world very different from that as we know it. <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e5f4201ccbca4be4356da72e8da3750f4692cc6a20c47e3ab7cb22b9ff2fa8d6/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-1-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54662597" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e5f4201ccbca4be4356da72e8da3750f4692cc6a20c47e3ab7cb22b9ff2fa8d6/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-1-of-69.jpg" /> The first sign of life we encounter upon setting foot on the property is an interesting-looking house to our left that appears to be a fusion of an Earthship and a wooden cabin. Organically shaped window panes and an earthy-white exterior fuse in naturally with their surroundings. Continuing along, we come across a thriving tomato patch alongside a series of other vegetable beds. A woman walks between the stalks taking notes while a handful of individuals move silently between the beds harvesting greenery. We ask for Pedro Valdjiu and learn that he was only just spotted tinkering in the shed. Arriving at what appears to be the heart of the project we are astonished by the scene that greets us—a circular fire pit under towering clusters of cypress grass, a light-flooded research centre made almost entirely of glass, a tiny tea house perched up on a hill, an open kitchen built from impressive wooden beams, a cob-oven in-the-making. It’s hard to believe that this astonishingly large sanctuary, clearly the work of countless hours of love and labour, is so well-hidden in this valley. <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c15d83a5b2ebe9e7fc81a084866c62b1938fc67f93e8e087e385a0101627c970/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-13-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54662603" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c15d83a5b2ebe9e7fc81a084866c62b1938fc67f93e8e087e385a0101627c970/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-13-of-69.jpg" /> <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/792e7e3cb70311336023a5867edf30d23921df40cf5fef25b3705f5d2233453e/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-58-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54662634" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/792e7e3cb70311336023a5867edf30d23921df40cf5fef25b3705f5d2233453e/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-58-of-69.jpg" /> <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3d95b7a8e227ef141b31ca3b0f2dbf3023af3aabfa9d16f2702ce11ad8a801b8/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-51-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54662629" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3d95b7a8e227ef141b31ca3b0f2dbf3023af3aabfa9d16f2702ce11ad8a801b8/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-51-of-69.jpg" /> <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/18d8ce2e817b49b4a42f6cbabca960583d70bc350b3d6d7e765d6521ab62e50b/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-63-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54662637" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/18d8ce2e817b49b4a42f6cbabca960583d70bc350b3d6d7e765d6521ab62e50b/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-63-of-69.jpg" /><img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2880c5e70c4f2826bcc8a4392d76b252dbba6fea67e31c8c8c874132d39b6152/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-55-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54662630" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2880c5e70c4f2826bcc8a4392d76b252dbba6fea67e31c8c8c874132d39b6152/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-55-of-69.jpg" /> Pedro receives us with a smile that stretches for miles. The host sets down his tools and heartily welcomes us to his property. After brief introductions to some of the volunteers, he gives us a personal tour of the rest of the grounds. We wander through Terra Alta’s young food forest and admire layer upon layer of fruit-bearing flora of all shapes and sizes. Enroute, Pedro points out cork oak tree after cork oak tree, or as he so poetically describes them “the original inhabitants of this ancient land”. Beaming with pride, he guides us onward to the project’s educational centre—the Star Dome. With its strong bamboo frame and fabulous pentagram skylight, the energy of this space calls thirsty minds to open their hearts to new ideas and concepts. Tracing back to the other side of the property we are delighted to discover the campsite which, as of this year, includes an adorable collection of bell tents. A compost toilet house completes the picture of off-the-grid living. Further north, Pedro explains his vision for a mandala keyhole garden, which is very much in the works, yet currently still in its early experimental stages. <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ac3bbd67815db1bdbcfe28fa4027531f25937fe5e58b5fdbc73f7c2b62f817f8/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-2-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54662598" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ac3bbd67815db1bdbcfe28fa4027531f25937fe5e58b5fdbc73f7c2b62f817f8/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-2-of-69.jpg" /> <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a1ee555ec760554acd4823b5a9eeaecb247d98660e2457d0412a63a0643c10a5/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-8-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54662600" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a1ee555ec760554acd4823b5a9eeaecb247d98660e2457d0412a63a0643c10a5/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-8-of-69.jpg" /> <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0c910d3cddf775d0f7a44fc5d6f9cec171164e9538f070d22df1ac79a6f4102c/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-7-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54663560" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0c910d3cddf775d0f7a44fc5d6f9cec171164e9538f070d22df1ac79a6f4102c/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-7-of-69.jpg" /> <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/07fb60b0d642535343b1e39b4b26593f63376a414836bfd11d60f1b904acc137/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-6-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54663559" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/07fb60b0d642535343b1e39b4b26593f63376a414836bfd11d60f1b904acc137/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-6-of-69.jpg" /> <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/bdbf85aefa3dbb33b23652cfa01c494231a0144b52f0b5ca7f33507b47f8514f/TerraAltaBackToTheRootsNew-2-of-4.jpg" data-mid="54722349" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/bdbf85aefa3dbb33b23652cfa01c494231a0144b52f0b5ca7f33507b47f8514f/TerraAltaBackToTheRootsNew-2-of-4.jpg" /> <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/90de0d21d5be787408f3ab28426e8dc82e1db98f48451e90def29aacaecf99f3/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-9-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54662601" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/90de0d21d5be787408f3ab28426e8dc82e1db98f48451e90def29aacaecf99f3/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-9-of-69.jpg" /> <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/15260a7b88c33f897dac2293aa147feb067c17a051bd436985098dc85cffc7e8/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-15-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54724064" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/15260a7b88c33f897dac2293aa147feb067c17a051bd436985098dc85cffc7e8/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-15-of-69.jpg" /> But how did all of these impressive constructs and productive landscapes spring from the scenery? And what purpose do they serve? Pedro and his life partner, Rita, have created a fascinating model for regenerative culture together. While Pedro takes the lead in seeing to Terra Alta’s day-to-day business, Rita focuses more of her time to running&nbsp;Escola da Terra—the Waldorf school that the duo co-founded in Sintra in 2008. Their core team also includes his neighbour, Henrik Ellerbrock, who works as a facilitator and runs a local market garden business called Chão Rico. From the very start, the trio’s work has been continuously supported by a rotation of volunteers. This list of dedicated individuals most recently includes Nadia (Communications Coordinator), Steve (Natural Builder), Darby (Project &amp; Research Coordinator), and Michelle (Market Garden Caretaker). Since its founding in 2010, Terra Alta has evolved into an inclusive learning centre that offers a fascinating mix of permaculture design courses, apprenticeships, and nature retreats. Participants from all corners of the globe are invited to embark on unique journeys of learning and discovery. Individuals thus become part of an ever-growing community that is looking for new ways forward. Ultimately, Terra Alta ignites cultural, land, and social transformation on an international scale. Rooted in Observation After Pedro and Rita first purchased the land in 2009, he dedicated his first year almost entirely to observation. He watched the water, carefully observing its natural flow in everything from downpours to dry spells. He took notes on the trees as they budded and shed their leaves, scrutinised shrubs as they flowered and wilted. He familiarised himself with the communities of birds and insects inhabiting the area, carrying out their roles in the ecosystem. Pedro explains his reasoning for this methodology, “Permaculture is a lot about designing perennial systems that we, as humans, are also a part of. When we approach a piece of land, the land already carries a unique story. So it’s very important that we connect to what the land wants from us as humans. Although we are perennial, like trees, our life is quite limited compared to the lifespans of the trees that are where we stand.” <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/267266a629a6da38d73572decce43ddd2a99e8579ebd21fc776391a7943cd6cc/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-23-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54663862" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/267266a629a6da38d73572decce43ddd2a99e8579ebd21fc776391a7943cd6cc/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-23-of-69.jpg" /><img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c1f6e025574def3ebafbd8fd1e1816ea6d558e3bcfedd9e507bcad62a4a91701/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-39-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54662617" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c1f6e025574def3ebafbd8fd1e1816ea6d558e3bcfedd9e507bcad62a4a91701/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-39-of-69.jpg" /> <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3a3b11560af326f511841d3aa981b6619dfcbb38f4e72138be9f08627ea739e9/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-18-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54662606" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3a3b11560af326f511841d3aa981b6619dfcbb38f4e72138be9f08627ea739e9/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-18-of-69.jpg" /> Yearning to retrace the land’s footsteps, Pedro delved into countless books in Sintra’s library. He was delighted to find that the region’s history had been safe-kept for hundreds of years. Equally intrigued by storytelling, he spoke with locals to understand what knowledge about the region had been passed down for generations. “I could see that this place was where the three main religions had been trying to build communities for over 200 years. And I think this is a really important factor. As human beings, we do not really represent religions anymore, but instead cultural backgrounds and belief systems based on things like economy and culture. This is now the same place, just without the religious flair.” Today, Pedro welcomes around 100 different people annually to reconnect with nature at Terra Alta. Throughout this process, he was also guided by internal observation. “I was trying to use my intuition and my imagination to get in contact with this realm of existence in this invisible world. I kept asking the question ‘What do you really want me to do here?’. And the images that I received were actually connected to what we are doing now. So I am following this vision of creating a model that could inspire people not to be self-sufficient, but to be self-reliant.” <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ee7d74538cdb31ce8cd743e60bc4de2f4479beb1823ac67225cb6a58c66443b8/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-35-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54662614" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ee7d74538cdb31ce8cd743e60bc4de2f4479beb1823ac67225cb6a58c66443b8/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-35-of-69.jpg" /> <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4881e9bddf84b2f06cfeb98551e2b0a54a3afbb2379687f33cf2fcfd2bde0fbd/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-43-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54662621" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4881e9bddf84b2f06cfeb98551e2b0a54a3afbb2379687f33cf2fcfd2bde0fbd/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-43-of-69.jpg" /> <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/01b6fd5dd4df00aa9a040d46d3c1ff69b207cac4faa6b5eb51ee064043cba1b2/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-36-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54662615" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/01b6fd5dd4df00aa9a040d46d3c1ff69b207cac4faa6b5eb51ee064043cba1b2/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-36-of-69.jpg" />Working with Permaculture Principles To better understand the dynamic nature and ethos of Terra Alta, it is important to have a basic understanding of the Ethics of Permaculture, the 12 Permaculture Design Principles (PDPs) and the Flower of Permaculture. These are briefly illustrated in the visuals below: The 12 Permaculture Design Principles<img width="1000" height="816" width_o="1000" height_o="816" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/60d2276fdedb08df0fc533b096011f165b9c4f6dab058de46211ef7dad48ba06/permaculture-principles.jpg" data-mid="54722543" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/60d2276fdedb08df0fc533b096011f165b9c4f6dab058de46211ef7dad48ba06/permaculture-principles.jpg" /> Illustration courtesy of barefootsolutions.com The term “permaculture” is a portmanteau of the words “permanent” and “agriculture”. Centralised around the ethical practices of Earth Care, People Share, Fair Care, these 12 design principles act as universal guidelines for practitioners. They make up the core of the Permaculture Flower, and can be applied in any setting. The seven petals of the Permaculture Flower visualise the seven domains necessary for the creation of a sustainable culture. The spiral leading from outward from the centre of the flower represents permaculture’s evolutionary path. Starting at a personal level it moves to activities on a local, a collective, and finally a global scale. The Flower of Permaculture <img width="1026" height="478" width_o="1026" height_o="478" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/567452f2a8fbcf7667eb56d23bdb39b2042b17d6e84f4dc0eebd5a8c23edac91/Screen-Shot-2019-11-13-at-3.50.38-PM.png" data-mid="54665200" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/567452f2a8fbcf7667eb56d23bdb39b2042b17d6e84f4dc0eebd5a8c23edac91/Screen-Shot-2019-11-13-at-3.50.38-PM.png" /> Illustration courtesy of permacultureprinciples.com Bill Mollison and David Holmgren are often seen as the ‘fathers’ of Permaculture. Their teachings form the basis for Terra Alta’s educational programmes. Pedro explains his reasoning for choosing to follow this pattern. “Each and every one of us brings a skill [to the table]. We are, at the very least, dreaming that we have a gift to bring to this planet. And the flower contains this possibility. Because the Flower of Permaculture is really a culture based on economics, government, building, technology, spirituality, land, and nature stewardship. So whatever your background is, when you enter into this new kind of language, you are not going to suffer from anxiety. You are already welcome. And from here, you can research what it is that you want to do. This project is based on trial and error. Most of the things I share in my classes as a facilitator, we have tested.” Thus, from Permaculture Design to soil regeneration, natural building to the creation of autonomous energy sources, these principles and domains are reflected in all of Terra Alta’s endeavours. <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/fcb291b5165a0928504decd840d1306a07ae7fc6b76f69b4b9265ad57a3fc792/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-16-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54662604" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/fcb291b5165a0928504decd840d1306a07ae7fc6b76f69b4b9265ad57a3fc792/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-16-of-69.jpg" /> <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4709e3a46cd4f81c6cda7e3dfd35b48e2270fddfecf9ee992b095f1f6631c193/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-17-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54662605" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4709e3a46cd4f81c6cda7e3dfd35b48e2270fddfecf9ee992b095f1f6631c193/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-17-of-69.jpg" /> <img width="664" height="1000" width_o="664" height_o="1000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5fa2254da899b563a77fa25cb8867df380c1168c1775d7e156c8de69a17fc860/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-33-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54662612" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/664/i/5fa2254da899b563a77fa25cb8867df380c1168c1775d7e156c8de69a17fc860/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-33-of-69.jpg" /> <img width="664" height="1000" width_o="664" height_o="1000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4c2cf5d8536d25066785e577654d81f5b88bb5d13df4d671158275645a7c54d6/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-34-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54662613" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/664/i/4c2cf5d8536d25066785e577654d81f5b88bb5d13df4d671158275645a7c54d6/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-34-of-69.jpg" /> <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3676755221d2a4f9d9fe47af9b43a396bc9cbf962dfed105cf07fc79085730bd/TerraAltaBackToTheRootsNew-1-of-4.jpg" data-mid="54722341" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3676755221d2a4f9d9fe47af9b43a396bc9cbf962dfed105cf07fc79085730bd/TerraAltaBackToTheRootsNew-1-of-4.jpg" /> <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3b46737bd8dd66e30af73853b7d779f90d1329d25b88bf9517e82634164e6aed/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-44-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54662622" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3b46737bd8dd66e30af73853b7d779f90d1329d25b88bf9517e82634164e6aed/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-44-of-69.jpg" /> Building Soil In recent years Terra Alta has been invested, not only in regenerating the soil but also in building soil. Through testing different concepts, such as creating compost piles or multiple layers via lasagna gardening, the project continues to deepen its understanding of soil’s food web, thereby strengthening its relationship to the land and opening up exciting new possibilities. Pedro elaborates, “Agriculture is not about farming food, it’s about building soil. The word ‘agri’ means ‘soil’ in Latin. And so building soil is like a revolution. Internationally, we are losing soil every day due to erosion and bad practices. We have very heavy clay soil at Terra Alta, so in addition to using cardboard and mulch, we also use sand. We work on texture, but we also work on the soil’s food web. This is something quite new to soil science. There is a web of organisms from the sun to the trees to the fungi to the birds to the shredders to the insects, microbes, bacteria...They are all interconnected. And if you take one, the community dies. Soil is very fragile.” <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/34d46f6c3864ca9b0689c543f49993e062bd50a64ec444cfad7f28f9f6fe3901/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-41-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54662619" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/34d46f6c3864ca9b0689c543f49993e062bd50a64ec444cfad7f28f9f6fe3901/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-41-of-69.jpg" /> <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/096b6c75ff1147706ba008c192cc36afc48c3de9b765ee614869f0df563623c3/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-42-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54662620" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/096b6c75ff1147706ba008c192cc36afc48c3de9b765ee614869f0df563623c3/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-42-of-69.jpg" /> <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9fe09090ff8c5c017f3e3627e4723a902e4d88f14134d6a6d5bf6aa036565cc3/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-40-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54662618" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9fe09090ff8c5c017f3e3627e4723a902e4d88f14134d6a6d5bf6aa036565cc3/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-40-of-69.jpg" /> Growing a Community, Propagating Pollinators &amp; Fostering Culture Pedro was not always one to welcome the outside world into his environment. “When I started this project, I wanted to save myself from the world. It was an individual impulse. And then I realised that, as time went on, I was actually opening myself up and letting the world in. So I started to dance with this idea. And this was unexpected for me. I’ve become a person who really enjoys hosting and sharing what I’ve learned.” Embracing his newfound willingness to share is journey with wider audiences, Pedro has expanded Terra Alta’s programmes over the years. Today, the project offers a delightful mix of Permaculture Design courses, apprenticeships and nature retreats. Reflecting on Terra Alta’s diverse, international community, he makes some interesting observations. “The community of people that surrounds this project is made up of people that are actually doing things, and not just exploring theories. Nevertheless, what I also see when looking at the profile of people who want to connect with the earth is that these are often not exactly people that own a lot of land. Sometimes they don’t own anything or don’t even have access to a piece of land.” But this is not stopping these individuals from flocking to Portugal to participate in his programmes. On the contrary. <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3676755221d2a4f9d9fe47af9b43a396bc9cbf962dfed105cf07fc79085730bd/TerraAltaBackToTheRootsNew-1-of-4.jpg" data-mid="54722341" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3676755221d2a4f9d9fe47af9b43a396bc9cbf962dfed105cf07fc79085730bd/TerraAltaBackToTheRootsNew-1-of-4.jpg" /> <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0841194e66931bec39aa707a2872fe34305097d1abcbfcac8a69383557fc2f33/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-20-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54662607" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0841194e66931bec39aa707a2872fe34305097d1abcbfcac8a69383557fc2f33/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-20-of-69.jpg" /><img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4d27d379e682cb03b788821e0f3a6f5bbd95fa6447b16ffd11ab2c2fd20840c2/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-65-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54662638" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4d27d379e682cb03b788821e0f3a6f5bbd95fa6447b16ffd11ab2c2fd20840c2/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-65-of-69.jpg" /> <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/08352dd1f9abd923f6be57fd328e29d6c4da0b20b4b8be3a5d2174991cf82986/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-47-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54662625" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/08352dd1f9abd923f6be57fd328e29d6c4da0b20b4b8be3a5d2174991cf82986/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-47-of-69.jpg" /><img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b6c604d6ebc3ad1a5809a3cdbbd1d2e663a1cf00e38ea6e8b15860bc430d8ead/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-68-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54662640" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b6c604d6ebc3ad1a5809a3cdbbd1d2e663a1cf00e38ea6e8b15860bc430d8ead/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-68-of-69.jpg" /> <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/10cc4852f5141701044a00501367ae5aa8c347813702b2105ce8a9092f7d6181/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-48-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54662626" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/10cc4852f5141701044a00501367ae5aa8c347813702b2105ce8a9092f7d6181/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-48-of-69.jpg" /> Pedro fondly describes every person who comes to Terra Alta as a “pollinator”. When asked about this, he smiled. “I have been studying beekeeping for a long time and, in reality, the bees are humankeeping. They are keeping us alive. So it’s quite arrogant from the perspective of a human being to say “I am beekeeping” because it’s actually the opposite. The bees are really a big source of inspiration to me. I am using the same pattern language because they are pollinating for life.” He further expanded on the concept of pollination as a necessity for the survival of mankind. “We urgently need to become cultural. We need to regenerate culture. I say regenerate because what is being generated is wrong. We have a financial system dominating our laws. We are creating laws that are creating monocultures of the minds. There is a compression pattern in society that comes from the economic sphere which manipulates the legal sphere and then compresses culture to be equal. Pollination is an expansion pattern. In reality, economies—fraternal economies—should be in service. They should create a system that will equalise humans and nature. Because we need to protect nature. And the only way to protect nature is by creating laws that really defend nature, as they defend human beings. And then we will have a cultural release. We have an expansion—a cultural expansion—where we don’t necessarily need to have access to the same tomatoes and the same coffee seeds. Where diversity is working. So in pollination, diversity is welcome.” On a side note, this concept of ‘monocultures of the minds’ that Pedro is so profoundly fascinated by stems from internationally acclaimed eco-activist, agro-ecologist and author Vandana Shiva. <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f8b90e055ac5867409e27713a203a19ce2375e6f2d4fa5a37d789033212780e7/TerraAltaBackToTheRootsNew-3-of-4.jpg" data-mid="54722356" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f8b90e055ac5867409e27713a203a19ce2375e6f2d4fa5a37d789033212780e7/TerraAltaBackToTheRootsNew-3-of-4.jpg" /><img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/acf46a7470585604b7ae0a55f5b531e914dd258027ed2154efd3ef501a1876dd/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-62-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54662636" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/acf46a7470585604b7ae0a55f5b531e914dd258027ed2154efd3ef501a1876dd/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-62-of-69.jpg" /> Learning to Teach.&nbsp; Teaching to Learn. Anyone who has been a student at Terra Alta will quickly learn to realise that education here comes in many shapes and forms. “I am highly inspired by the world of movement and enjoy teaching creatively. Lectures, they are nice, but probably only about 10% is retained in a lecture. And I like giving lectures, but then after a while people also need a shot of coffee you know...” To make this approach more tangible, Pedro highlights his use of theatre as a means of conveying principles of beekeeping to his students. In his class, each student slips into the role of a different bee in the hive. The group then collectively re-enacts a one-year cycle in the life of a colony—one is a nurse, another the queen, the rest are foragers, workers, builders and drones. By slipping into these roles, students can comprehend hive activity in a very experiential way. This in turn allows them to retain much more information than they would have in a theoretical class. In a similar approach, Pedro proceeds to lay out a biosphere using objects, prompting his students to come up with solutions based on cards that display the various Permaculture Principles. He utilises this approach to show the applicability of these principles to any geographical location. “I show that you can have an impact on the region where you are living. Although I often play with the global spheres by choosing regions that our visitors come from, I am still having an impact on this region. We are having an impact on this region. And it’s very important to acknowledge that we have the power to instigate change wherever we live. I might not be able to do much for China or India—unless it’s by being wiser in my consumption—but here I can talk with my mayor. I have an impact on my community.” Essentially, anyone who comes to Terra Alta leaves with knowledge and skills that they can take out into the world and apply elsewhere. <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/81a41f63d0a746fc7f8dde077f3816cc72e2c932a035cc35a707d625fd7b658c/TerraAltaBackToTheRootsNew-1-of-1.jpg" data-mid="54722338" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/81a41f63d0a746fc7f8dde077f3816cc72e2c932a035cc35a707d625fd7b658c/TerraAltaBackToTheRootsNew-1-of-1.jpg" /> <img width="664" height="1000" width_o="664" height_o="1000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/73b7bf5030ce4713c49fdc4f81d34bc485c90f3091758fd555d6bfceb57672ee/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-61-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54662635" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/664/i/73b7bf5030ce4713c49fdc4f81d34bc485c90f3091758fd555d6bfceb57672ee/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-61-of-69.jpg" /> <img width="664" height="1000" width_o="664" height_o="1000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b1ee988f6ed88384cf2c2380740357350ce25d76d81de3c43182a4cec65c004b/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-50-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54662628" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/664/i/b1ee988f6ed88384cf2c2380740357350ce25d76d81de3c43182a4cec65c004b/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-50-of-69.jpg" /> On Giving &amp; Taking Pedro underlines that one of the Permaculture Design Principles says that nature is always in cooperation—even the predator is not in competition with its prey. In that spirit, Terra Alta treats time as a currency to foster a collaborative environment in which the project and its participants benefit from each other equally. “There are multiple levels. For example, we have a currency with our volunteers. If you come here, you actually earn 8 Euros per hour in educational credits that you can transfer to people. We are really trying to break through traditional concepts and play with possibilities, because at the end of the day what we are giving each other is time. You and me and everybody else, we all have one thing in common: we are under the influence of time. We don’t have space in common, but we have time. And this is what we can trade. And time is being monetised. So time is not money. Because it doesn’t make sense to monetise what we all have in common. It doesn’t have value as it is being given to you. I realise that this is quite a philosophical approach, but what we all share at the end of the day is our precious sacred existence over a very short period of time. So when a volunteer, for instance, comes here and gives to the project, the project also gives back. And I believe that this is very important.” I also spoke to some of the current volunteers to get a better understanding of their roles and involvement. It quickly became clear that many of these individuals yearn to see this collaborative culture manifest itself in the outside world. By exploring this way of sharing, learning, and co-existing together they are figuring out as a community how they want to lead their lives as individuals. They are all searching for new solutions, both for themselves and for society. And each has his or own story to tell. <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/86e0f08d99bce486d7c2527c133ff998da08611b092a1bc2b8edc71faa1f15a7/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-57-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54662633" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/86e0f08d99bce486d7c2527c133ff998da08611b092a1bc2b8edc71faa1f15a7/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-57-of-69.jpg" /> <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/36c431b0cd8a0a747a01e51ec048e338e57bfe56602660e1342aa17340542194/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-56-of-69.jpg" data-mid="54662632" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/36c431b0cd8a0a747a01e51ec048e338e57bfe56602660e1342aa17340542194/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-56-of-69.jpg" /> Michelle, a 21-year-old volunteer from Belgium, studied Permaculture at a college in Ireland. She joined Terra Alta to take the lead in caring for the project’s market gardens after working on Sea Shepherd for one-and-a-half years. She explains her motivation to come back on shore. “The only thing I missed at sea was working somewhere where it’s green. I really believe that activism—or active activism—like the kind Sea Shepherd is doing, is very much needed. But it’s also just tackling one problem. With Permaculture, on the other hand, you are engaging in passive activism and tackling a lot of problems simultaneously, like community living, food, and education.” In a different example, US American and Hong Kong bi-national Nadia recently traded in a career in the commercial sphere for new terrains. Her hope? To align her passion for natural living and societal sustainability with her profession. Ever since, Nadia has been utilising her background in marketing and content creation to assist Terra Alta on numerous fronts. “There’s just so much inspiring content here. Somehow, there’s always a photographer around taking beautiful photos. This makes my life easy because previous jobs have always been difficult to produce content for. I love being in this environment. I can merge what I love doing, which is writing, with learning and helping.” Meanwhile, Darby has been supporting Pedro in further developing their educational centre, while working to get Terra Alta’s new research centre up and running. The Melbourne-native delved into Permaculture in hopes of learning about natural building, lifecycle analysis, and education about culture. An Industrial Engineer by trade, he is especially eager to incorporate Permaculture Design Principles into constructions and spaces for people. Ideally at music festivals. “I always had this vision of working for high-value clients, making lots of money, and someday retiring and buying a little house with a garden. Being here, I’ve come to realise that I can actually do this today. I can go back to Australia, live on a friend’s land for close to nothing, build elements, build a community, and start teaching Permaculture. Basically, Terra Alta has helped me realign my mission and my vision rather than having this mixed up idea of what I want to be doing.” In a nutshell, Terra Alta is living proof that we can rethink, redesign, re-envision the world we have created and are creating for ourselves. The question is, are we able and willing to break out of the monocultures that exist in our minds? Can we open ourselves up to patterns that promise a more diverse and sustainable future? Header over to Terra Alta’s website to enroll in their programmes. Read Chapter 8: Interview with Pedro on bttrstories.com Text: Maia Frazier Photography: Joël IsmailNext ︎ https://bttrstories.com/Chapter-8-Pedro Sun, 03 Nov 2019 14:30:52 +0000 BTTR Stories https://bttrstories.com/Chapter-8-Pedro Chapter 8 Pedro— A Conversation in a Cork Oak Tree Hailing from Mozambique, Pedro Valdjiu’s family was amongst the wave of 250,000 immigrants that fled to Portugal in the late ‘70s. This surge in migration was a response to the violent, decade-long war of independence that had left many people’s livelihoods at risk. Pedro clearly recalls how his parents struggled to gain a foothold on the Iberian Peninsula in his early childhood. Like many of their kin, they were shocked to find themselves treated as refugees, in spite of their Portuguese heritage. Pedro was educated in public schools, which did little to support his sense of identity or ignite a thirst for knowledge. Feeling very much out of touch with a system that he claims propagates monolithic and individualistic thinking, he sought refuge in the arts well into adulthood. Decades later, his lifelong quest for purpose would lead him to delve into studies of “pattern education” before settling down in the foothills of Sintra Mountains. It was here in the tiny village of Ulgueira that Pedro and his life partner Rita Sexias founded the Waldorf school&nbsp;Escola da Terra in 2008, followed by the permaculture project Terra Alta in 2010. <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2666ae14120342b32d9f24e8fd15a80d737c6608cc1a079f54dd602f70591605/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-24-of-69.jpg" data-mid="53930898" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2666ae14120342b32d9f24e8fd15a80d737c6608cc1a079f54dd602f70591605/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-24-of-69.jpg" /> Fast forward to September 2019, Pedro speaks to me of his past, his present, and his visions for the future while comfortably seated in the crown of his favourite cork oak tree. One of the oldest and largest evergreens on his property, it has manifested itself into his daily sanctuary. Its coarse, robust bark and twisting branches emanate a sense of time that reaches far beyond any human being’s lifespan. This magnificent tree stands tall, like a safe keeper, guarding the stories of the soil that its roots are entangled in. Perched up in its arms, Pedro appears almost part of the landscape—his weathered hands bear marks of his labour on the land, his smiling eyes reveal a complex individual with a contemplative spirit. <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3fbd2bda4db38cad1c8271cdbbefeff86e41aaeb0bdbae4d2697b274e1b1a133/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-26-of-69.jpg" data-mid="53930896" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3fbd2bda4db38cad1c8271cdbbefeff86e41aaeb0bdbae4d2697b274e1b1a133/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-26-of-69.jpg" /> <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/617c47fa6345bc10d8e98d698b19b744dd9b68ae882667a263a960d6261c2460/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-27-of-69.jpg" data-mid="53930895" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/617c47fa6345bc10d8e98d698b19b744dd9b68ae882667a263a960d6261c2460/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-27-of-69.jpg" /> <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c3ef2f989319c3f9bef3b281b0facddd5a8d9a9cdf5f6d7a806ea37c8666b35f/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-15-of-69.jpg" data-mid="53930903" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c3ef2f989319c3f9bef3b281b0facddd5a8d9a9cdf5f6d7a806ea37c8666b35f/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-15-of-69.jpg" /> It was as a musician on the road that you first set foot into the world of permaculture. Describe your journey. I’ve actually been connected to music since I was a child, so my main activity in life is being a musician. I’ve been playing in a band since I was 17. I’m 44 now, and I still play at festivals and do international tours. I created many of my own instruments. The band, Blasted Mechanism, is quite unique. It mixes a bit of performance and carries a strong message. &gt; Listen to ‘Egotronic’ by Blasted Mechanism. As I was touring, I began to realise how poorly designed the world was, and that we as humans aren’t really welcome in what we have created for ourselves. At the time, I was also contemplating how much we have been trained to see from the window of a car. I did so many kilometres looking out of the van. We are trained to see monocultures and say, “Wow, this is so beautiful. It’s green. It’s as it should be in nature.” But actually, eucalyptus or grapes or pine forests are businesses, and my heart was really really shrinking. Then one day at Boom Festival in 2008 I got in touch with the Permaculture movement. And I couldn’t believe that I finally had something. I could finally be part of a solution. I could position myself to be part of the solution. And this was the first time because ecology was not really giving me this. Neither was biology or engineering. I felt that I was part of a global movement that is committed to healing. Healing of humankind to be honest. Nature is good. It’s going to [out]survive us. What we need to heal is the connection, the arrogance we have towards human beings. I started to become quite interested in studying patterns, which is the core curriculum. So I was really committed to developing this. <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ee1b1427c8b20501092b65233c7b2f3f40263d63e76785da4fef5e9f6ad7c68f/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-4-of-69.jpg" data-mid="53930908" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ee1b1427c8b20501092b65233c7b2f3f40263d63e76785da4fef5e9f6ad7c68f/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-4-of-69.jpg" /> <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/01d37de0d1a828d70367b708bd0c23235614bb8993b20a90d9fc6ba0f5b4ab86/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-59-of-69.jpg" data-mid="53930890" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/01d37de0d1a828d70367b708bd0c23235614bb8993b20a90d9fc6ba0f5b4ab86/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-59-of-69.jpg" /> <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7de6af3f3090163b0c6dc5c7c924621c43e23a012d72f2884897b10f02b5bcd1/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-60-of-69.jpg" data-mid="53930889" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/7de6af3f3090163b0c6dc5c7c924621c43e23a012d72f2884897b10f02b5bcd1/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-60-of-69.jpg" /> You live on-site with your partner, Rita, and your 16 and 17-year-old daughters, Jasmim and Zoe. The girls spent most of their childhoods here. How did this set-up impact your day-to-day family life? Well, now my daughters are studying in Lisbon. They used to study with us in the Waldorf school that we started up in the village in 2008. We run the school, so we were all part of it. But now, you know, they are getting to be a different age. I think in the beginning it was quite interesting for them. They were quite brave to be here because we live off the grid where there was sometimes a lack of electricity, and the compost toilet was outside. It was not always easy for them, but they are quite connected. They really like being here. We couldn’t do 7th, 8th and 9th Grade unless they were via private homeschooling, so we did that here in the Star Dome. It was our classroom, their classroom. <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2ff712d826dc122675d5b9e7a538d3e8f1f6f6f50bc8576aa38f9db9d085abcf/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-69-of-69.jpg" data-mid="53930886" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2ff712d826dc122675d5b9e7a538d3e8f1f6f6f50bc8576aa38f9db9d085abcf/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-69-of-69.jpg" /> <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/89142b877a1bb857d7bb62f8927d87e33dd25f3e1c4d7feb4f8a04a977839513/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-7-of-69.jpg" data-mid="53930907" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/89142b877a1bb857d7bb62f8927d87e33dd25f3e1c4d7feb4f8a04a977839513/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-7-of-69.jpg" /> <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/08c882a1dcbda3ecdb7b5e954df6c5194719a33eb93e9a9d91839a5d982460da/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-6-of-69.jpg" data-mid="53932373" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/08c882a1dcbda3ecdb7b5e954df6c5194719a33eb93e9a9d91839a5d982460da/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-6-of-69.jpg" /> What is your biggest hope for your children? I hope they live their gifts. That they find what they connect with, what they like to do in a world that’s more and more difficult for teenagers to live in. Tell me more about your relationship with Rita. You met as teenagers... Yes, I met her when I was 17. She was actually a friend of one of the guitarists in a band I sometimes played in. To be honest, I am following her. Although I am doing a lot by myself now, it was she who always had the connection to nature because she was raised by her grandparents on a farm. I didn’t know what this connection was. It was just all “I don’t care. I’m an artist. I’m ego-centric. My career is what interests me most.” But then, to live with a woman who you already know is special… For me, women really carry the solution. Today, speaking about gender is super dramatic. But I don’t really care. In my own story, there is a quality that women carry that really shaped my tenderness and my compassion for the world. So yeah she helped me in that regard. She had the vision to create the school and to do all of this. She’s the visionary. I’m just a servant. [laughs] How would you describe your relationship with your land? Well, I’m a hermit here now. I’m in love with this place. There was a very special Portuguese poet who said there is this problem that when you start to be in one place so much, you can get stuck in that place. It’s like a relationship with a lover. It needs to be… <img width="664" height="1000" width_o="664" height_o="1000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f3c30438e36a473dba03c98859e917cf8b160e6120c0dd2fdb1fe2f558b6aa31/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-10-of-69.jpg" data-mid="53930906" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/664/i/f3c30438e36a473dba03c98859e917cf8b160e6120c0dd2fdb1fe2f558b6aa31/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-10-of-69.jpg" /> <img width="664" height="1000" width_o="664" height_o="1000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4fdede750e776266c21326f8880e4b77008a91c9dd4594495d9a6211d33c0d20/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-64-of-69.jpg" data-mid="53932370" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/664/i/4fdede750e776266c21326f8880e4b77008a91c9dd4594495d9a6211d33c0d20/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-64-of-69.jpg" /><img width="664" height="1000" width_o="664" height_o="1000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/fc62ce5dd546045dd88e06f558954ffd44e5f3f6636841e9a524ddf3e12b93ed/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-67-of-69.jpg" data-mid="53932369" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/664/i/fc62ce5dd546045dd88e06f558954ffd44e5f3f6636841e9a524ddf3e12b93ed/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-67-of-69.jpg" /> <img width="664" height="1000" width_o="664" height_o="1000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8320a7f3207e4b5c4df928e3c51449dea792ba0022fc302c602bf3afc130d15e/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-11-of-69.jpg" data-mid="53932372" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/664/i/8320a7f3207e4b5c4df928e3c51449dea792ba0022fc302c602bf3afc130d15e/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-11-of-69.jpg" /> ...evolving? Yes and not codependent. So it’s interesting. I’m always on this fragile line. I’m afraid of being swallowed by the dream of the hermit. So what do you do when you’re not busy working on your land?Touring with the band. And you’re also a filmmaker and a trained construction worker? Yes, I have a degree in cinema. I love cinema because it’s a very holistic art. I hope we can really change a lot of ourselves and others through storytelling. For me, it was more about studying aesthetics and art than studying cinema. I studied building too. I like building, but I’ve studied a lot of things. I still haven’t found myself. I’m still lost. I’m still looking for myself. <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/78252294076b2a5ae03c245d93ace7fe114142035dc0edf9f458efedc057881d/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-3-of-69.jpg" data-mid="53930909" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/78252294076b2a5ae03c245d93ace7fe114142035dc0edf9f458efedc057881d/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-3-of-69.jpg" /> <img width="664" height="1000" width_o="664" height_o="1000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ac2593cc7d3ddeee117b7e52ce3e4efaab7ca6d78a0e343786061c8b528c0db0/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-37-of-69.jpg" data-mid="53932371" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/664/i/ac2593cc7d3ddeee117b7e52ce3e4efaab7ca6d78a0e343786061c8b528c0db0/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-37-of-69.jpg" /><img width="664" height="1000" width_o="664" height_o="1000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/bfb3af958947a41125ecbaacdf1db0fa5fdb8957db78900cc590958a99d0503f/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-14-of-69.jpg" data-mid="53930905" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/664/i/bfb3af958947a41125ecbaacdf1db0fa5fdb8957db78900cc590958a99d0503f/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-14-of-69.jpg" /> <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2891abc2758b32f3dbddccac56bd3da7921c9b9025b42060d96ed6e65724ce90/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-66-of-69.jpg" data-mid="53930888" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2891abc2758b32f3dbddccac56bd3da7921c9b9025b42060d96ed6e65724ce90/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-66-of-69.jpg" /> What is it about the concepts of „reconnection“ and „connection“ that fascinate you so much personally? When we say „reconnection“, it means that something was lost before. And it was definitely lost. Looking at my own education, I could already see that schools were not really trying to connect me to anything. Religion is losing its power. In a way, religion was a source for many people to connect to something. Something quite encrypted and unfortunately not really with a basis in nature. At least not in the simplicity of nature. Therefore, there is a process of reconnecting again to two different forces: One is the Mother—which represents matter—which is the material world. And then the other is the Father—that represents patter—which is where the world’s patterns come from. When we think of patterns, we are talking about the connection with the Father. But we need two forces for harmony—we need a father and a mother for life to happen. At the moment, we are just materialistic, and the reason we are not looking at nature from a sacred perspective is that we are fatherless. We don’t carry a sense of pattern recognition anymore. So we need to study both to be holistic human beings. Tell me something that you find fascinating about a plant on this property. It would definitely be the cork trees. What’s fascinating is that I’ve been sleeping in this valley for more than ten years and I’ve recognised similar dream patterns in everybody that sleeps in this forest. I began studying and researching the different spiritual qualities of trees. This you can study from the Celts (we are a Celtic place in Sintra) but also from biodynamic farming. According to Steiner, if you want to connect with a tree, you need to be in the same state as the tree. The tree is sleeping. Nature is sleeping. So you have to sleep under the tree to talk to the tree. But this specific tree it has the cork, and cork protects it from weather, from bugs, from fire. It’s very resistant this tree, it doesn’t get burned. So this is a “protection” tree. And when you sleep under this tree for a while it will start to play and softly open what you have been protecting yourself from—your trauma, things you have been hiding from yourself. But very gently. It just shows what you can process, so it’s not just like a ceremony or an ayahuasca ritual that gets you trouble for two years because you are processing a lot of information. This is soft. It’s very unique. I’m very surprised. <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1db6ce8ad434e877aae64e1ea7c06c47ebd499224294dbb03b218684d6a3206a/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-22-of-69.jpg" data-mid="53930900" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1db6ce8ad434e877aae64e1ea7c06c47ebd499224294dbb03b218684d6a3206a/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-22-of-69.jpg" /> <img width="1000" height="664" width_o="1000" height_o="664" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3b843d8b295df3d64a6d73f675cc723ca8914304190e1cd6edeee7859d39d37e/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-25-of-69.jpg" data-mid="53930897" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3b843d8b295df3d64a6d73f675cc723ca8914304190e1cd6edeee7859d39d37e/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-25-of-69.jpg" /><img width="664" height="1000" width_o="664" height_o="1000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f743e533e6c671a16f40c22895827d15c7b7b03d9fd7ebe8f63e8a41ecffbfce/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-21-of-69.jpg" data-mid="53930901" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/664/i/f743e533e6c671a16f40c22895827d15c7b7b03d9fd7ebe8f63e8a41ecffbfce/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-21-of-69.jpg" /><img width="664" height="1000" width_o="664" height_o="1000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5ea2eb5fdbe92d0723d57d8c88d1bc05788062dce4ac9028375b5216a6271655/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-28-of-69.jpg" data-mid="53930894" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/664/i/5ea2eb5fdbe92d0723d57d8c88d1bc05788062dce4ac9028375b5216a6271655/TerraAltaBackToTheRoots-28-of-69.jpg" /> What would you love to learn in this lifetime?I would love to dance. Contemporaneous dance. And maybe to walk on water. Thank you, Pedro. Interview: Maia FrazierImages: Joël Ismail Next&nbsp;︎ https://bttrstories.com/Chapter-7-Foekje-Fleur Sat, 27 Jul 2019 08:22:18 +0000 BTTR Stories https://bttrstories.com/Chapter-7-Foekje-Fleur Chapter 7FOEKJE FLEUR In 2019, the Great Pacific Patch measures approximately four times the size of Germany or 36 times the size of the Netherlands. One headline after another alerts us to the pollution pandemic afflicting our waters. Gut-wrenching images plaster cover pages around the globe: a little seahorse riding a current clutches a neon pink cotton swab, having mistaken it for a blade of seagrass, a turtle entangled in the remnants of a shopping bag gasps as it struggles to take its last breath of air, the carcass of a sperm whale washed up on a pristine beach, all but bursting from the 40 kilos&nbsp; of synthetic waste trapped in its stomach. Yes, plastic soup is as devastating as it sounds. Sadly,&nbsp; similar images can just as easily be found close to&nbsp; home. A stroll along the bank of any river near your residence should unveil a myriad mix of plastics in all shapes and sizes. While the human race collectively continues to dump eight billion kilos of plastic waste into the ocean annually, more often than not, as if spectators in a theatre, we avert our eyes. Will we manage to say no to straws before the entire seabed is blanketed in polyethylene? Will we refuse products wrapped in synthetic materials only if our own offspring come into the world suffocating in their embrace? Foekje Fleur’s plastic soup wake up call came over a decade ago in the form of an article in a local newspaper. For the Rotterdam-based “concept maker”, the scope and severity of the subject matter hit home and hit hard. <img width="4256" height="2832" width_o="4256" height_o="2832" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5526500f43afb50b60a7deaae35be182c186e5138e97ce895355d7838f630096/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-24.JPG" data-mid="47466000" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/5526500f43afb50b60a7deaae35be182c186e5138e97ce895355d7838f630096/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-24.JPG" /> From arbitrary to awareIn 2009, Foekje was enrolled in her second year at the art academy AKV Sint Joost in Breda, the Netherlands. She had already dabbled in product design and had previously touched on elements of functional design. When a professor challenged her class to design an object simply because they found it intriguing, Foekje suddenly found herself stuck for ideas: “I thought it was very difficult at first. I didn’t know where to start. This teacher urged me to read the newspaper for a week and just cut out everything that I found interesting. And that was when I read about plastic soup for the first time. I started going up and down the Maas River to see if I could find the kind of plastic that wouldn’t degrade. And I found it. A lot of it. I found these really old pieces of plastic that were from the ‘60s and ‘70s, and were still totally intact. That in itself really demonstrated their lack of degradability. I took all of it to school, sorted the bottles by colour, and made this big display. But it wasn’t really something at that point, I just thought it was an interesting image because it was really beautiful aesthetically. It was also interesting because the shapes were very old, so the project was clearly also about consumption. I knew I wanted to capture this image in a slightly different way. In the end, I cast them into porcelain because porcelain was a material that would last even longer—the oldest archaeological finds are all ceramics, so I figured if I made them in porcelain, they would stay around for millions of years and become a souvenir of this era.” The plastic era. <img width="4256" height="2832" width_o="4256" height_o="2832" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/23e3c34dda3d8135dc1dcbdad0cb70b2c498e9073a54006eb96c67ca69fb68fb/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-29.JPG" data-mid="47467213" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/23e3c34dda3d8135dc1dcbdad0cb70b2c498e9073a54006eb96c67ca69fb68fb/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-29.JPG" /> <img width="4256" height="2832" width_o="4256" height_o="2832" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d2f7f516756227a5ed64952ea3d54891bfe2beecebbf24382ef92aa871c1768e/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-30.JPG" data-mid="47466002" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d2f7f516756227a5ed64952ea3d54891bfe2beecebbf24382ef92aa871c1768e/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-30.JPG" /><img width="4256" height="2832" width_o="4256" height_o="2832" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/773ccab70eb6ae4ccb6a4ad77460765b830cec1ca6e4e65bd2aeb753de7803da/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-36.JPG" data-mid="47466004" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/773ccab70eb6ae4ccb6a4ad77460765b830cec1ca6e4e65bd2aeb753de7803da/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-36.JPG" /> Foekje’s project quickly generated a lot of enthusiasm. Her teachers urged her to try her hand at selling the final pieces in a store. And so her&nbsp;Bottle Vases were born. Over the next couple of years, Foekje’s plastic-inspired vase project evolved into a booming business. Her partnership with Middle Kingdom, an artisanal porcelain manufacturer in Virginia, USA, not only helped bring her products to the other side of the pond, but also allowed her to keep up with the demands of a rapidly-growing enterprise. While Foekje continues to dedicate the majority of her time to developing new bottles for her portfolio and expanding her sales channels and customer base in Europe, Middle Kingdom handles the production of the products themselves as well as sales in the United States. Over the years, Foekje has also occasionally conceptualised single commission pieces. She admits, however, that she has always been cautious about creating objects that do not serve a meaningful purpose or back a specific cause. Her reasoning for this is simple, “It really stresses me out if I have to think about [large-scale] production and bringing more ‘stuff’ into the world, because I think that there is already too much ‘stuff’ in the world. If possible, I only work with biodegradable or recycled materials.” Getting clean, going green Three years ago, Foekje was approached by a Dutch company called Good to Give, a fair trade gift shop that asked her to design a soap dish for their corporate gift boxes. “I had actually already been thinking about soap dishes for a long time. I had already progressed to using soap bars in my personal life as a means of cutting back on plastic bottles.” Deeply inspired by her bottle vase project, Good to Give initially suggested she head back to the Maas River to find an interesting shape to cast a mould for a line of porcelain soap dishes. Foekje doubted the functionality and durability of porcelain for slippery, wet soap bars. Also, she was eager to with materials that already existed, so she pitched the idea of melting down and recycling plastic. Her intention was to create a dish that could not only be used for hand soap, but for a wide range of cleaning products in soap bar form. Having taken to grating her own detergents at home, she decided to add a grater to the concept. And that is how Bubble Buddy came to be: “I was super excited because I thought it would be so niche. Yes, it was something I was interested in, but I thought other people would think that it’s really weird. As it turned out, lots of other people were also quite interested in it.” Several months of product development later, 20,000 Bubble Buddies successfully found their way into gift boxes across the nation. Today, Bubble Buddy has expanded to a brilliant multi-coloured line of soap dishes, all of which are available in her online shop. While she currently sells soaps skillfully made by Werfzeep, an organic soap factory in Utrecht, Foekje is looking into the possibility of eventually making her own line of soaps in the future.&nbsp; <img width="4256" height="2832" width_o="4256" height_o="2832" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/451142fd96fd515458664ef739a6d9468836df7241255e5f1a62b2a4586d0560/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-42.JPG" data-mid="47466005" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/451142fd96fd515458664ef739a6d9468836df7241255e5f1a62b2a4586d0560/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-42.JPG" /> <img width="4256" height="2832" width_o="4256" height_o="2832" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/598a18d46cbb0735dd01da2208fbe763032cb8336891300b2c3a3bb742c226e0/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-33.JPG" data-mid="47466003" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/598a18d46cbb0735dd01da2208fbe763032cb8336891300b2c3a3bb742c226e0/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-33.JPG" /> This passion for sustainable practices runs in her family. Foekje’s mother owns Een bloemetje op tafel, an organic flower store in Rotterdam that promotes positive plants and bouquets. As the perfect accessory to her earth-friendly flowers, Foejke’s mother displays a wide assortment of her pastel bottle vases on a wall in her store. Bubble Buddy, on the other hand, had to proove itself first. “At first she was like, ‘No I’m not going to put all this soap bullshit in my store’. And I was like ‘OK then I guess not’. And then one week later she ordered a box. Today, she is very proud when people come in and ask for the Bubble Buddies. ‘Of course’ she exclaims, ‘they’re my daughter’s.” Echoing ethics One of Foekje’s biggest battles, both as a businesswoman and a concept maker, remains striking a healthy balance between creativity, demand and growth. “I find it very difficult to add products to my portfolio just because they look nice. I have many friends who are product designers and get commissions from big brands to design things like ashtrays. But for me, it doesn’t really work like that. I wouldn’t even design an ashtray to begin with because I’m not a smoker and I don’t want people to smoke. So this ethical part is extremely important to me. I feel really responsible in that way. When you start making products, it echoes everywhere.” Foekje designs her objects in pretty pastel colour schemes that appeal to her personally. The result is a juxtaposition to the serious nature of the message they carry. “I think I am good at making attractive objects, which I use to almost trick people into exploring more serious topics. They’ll be like ‘Oooh nice bottle’ or ‘Oooh nice colours, nice shapes’ and then they’ll start to read the story behind them.” Foekje intentionally avoids using what she considers “dramatic” shades such as blacks and greys. “I want to leave some room for positivity when thinking about change. People often don’t really want to cooperate or collaborate or do anything really to instigate change. People are super sceptical when it comes to that.” Foekje highlights that her Bottle Vases and Bubble Buddies attract slightly different customer bases. Her porcelain vases appeal to a wide audience of culturally-interested women, generally in their 30s to 60s. Her Bubble Buddies, on the other hand, tend to resonate with women in their 20s to 40s, while also striking a chord with people over 60. “Whenever I go to a trade show and exhibit Bubble Buddy, it’s elderly people who stop at my stall and want to talk about the product because they have all these fond memories of using soap bars. For them, it’s really nostalgic. They often recall it being such a good product and wonder why we ever switched [to liquids and bottles].” Whether it’s the lifestyle choices they represent or the stories that inspired their making, all of Foekje’s products have two things in common: the ability to grab people’s attention and the potential to trigger a shift in people’s mindsets. Creating a community Foekje resited Instagram as a medium for her brand for a long time. “I was a bit late when it came to that. I only started using Instagram two years ago. I always thought it was just something for fashionistas because of all the filters. When I took a closer look at some point I found out that people had actually been tagging me for the past seven years. When I actually started using it, I discovered that it was not only a good way to communicate with my audience, but also a great way to receive feedback. During the development of Bubble Buddy, for example, I conducted a lot of surveys with my followers. I asked them to vote on their favourite colours which helped me make decisions on production numbers for each colour. I also did these little contests and the name ‘Bubbly Buddy’ actually came out of one of these contests. We had so many entries, it was really fun. My favourite was ‘Jasper, de seepen rasper’, which translates to ‘Jasper the soap rasper’. In Dutch it makes more sense than in English, but I thought it was super funny.” Despite her thriving community, she initially struggled to get her account off the ground as a result of her aversion to it. “I felt like I was a slave to Mark Zuckerberg. When you have followers, you want to grow and get more each time you open your app. And then you open it and have 100 less and you get worried. But I’m over that now. I’m OK with being Mark Zuckerberg’s slave.” Foekje has profited immensely from her @foekjefleur community and takes pride in the brand she has built for herself. Today, she is contacted regularly by boutiques and retailers who discover her on Instagram, wanting to feature her products in their store, and she enjoys sharing her day-to-day processes with her fan-base. <img width="2832" height="4256" width_o="2832" height_o="4256" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f92c6b87efc6dcde200833ef46a9197d319ee3d430d170115114800d04805adf/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-43.JPG" data-mid="47466130" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f92c6b87efc6dcde200833ef46a9197d319ee3d430d170115114800d04805adf/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-43.JPG" /><img width="2832" height="4256" width_o="2832" height_o="4256" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/060b5d1448434a74dd6db26d96f2dc9192fa108010ecb3766a1c5773cc9c3631/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-38.JPG" data-mid="47466129" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/060b5d1448434a74dd6db26d96f2dc9192fa108010ecb3766a1c5773cc9c3631/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-38.JPG" /> <img width="2736" height="4112" width_o="2736" height_o="4112" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/28062a4a25ea8d867f7ea0454c74df93e4824b04e26a4686be62b9adacd8bf0a/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-41.JPG" data-mid="47467295" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/28062a4a25ea8d867f7ea0454c74df93e4824b04e26a4686be62b9adacd8bf0a/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-41.JPG" /> <img width="2832" height="4256" width_o="2832" height_o="4256" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/cc5570eff30ee0d3272236034237c2305d60e8ab8bf2b7a190e46a17544afaf2/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-35.JPG" data-mid="47466127" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/cc5570eff30ee0d3272236034237c2305d60e8ab8bf2b7a190e46a17544afaf2/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-35.JPG" /> Around the world and back again Foekje and her intern Judith are currently working on developing and expanding her Bottle Vases into what she calls a “World Series”. Her idea is to look beyond the banks of the Maas to cast new, unique shapes from people’s plastic bottle finds across the globe’s rivers, lakes and seas. “I am encouraging people to clean up alongside rivers and oceans, and whenever they find something they think is interesting, they can send it to me. I will pay for shipping, of course. We will cast the nicest bottles into porcelain to show that this problem is worldwide, but we also want to tell the stories of the people all over the world who are spending their time as volunteers cleaning up our waters.” Ultimately, her aim is to call attention to our global crisis in the hope that we will recognise that our planet is drowning in plastic, and that we have the responsibility and power to do something about it. <img width="4256" height="2832" width_o="4256" height_o="2832" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/cc82aa09d63e16b2c518a35e1152e705a82a1a15d00f835f0814ed7c39262709/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-25.JPG" data-mid="47467367" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/cc82aa09d63e16b2c518a35e1152e705a82a1a15d00f835f0814ed7c39262709/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-25.JPG" /> <img width="4169" height="2774" width_o="4169" height_o="2774" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1571e4f2690886299ba4bc169e1b1520311565c51e9bca1d49db0a73f5112a08/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-48.JPG" data-mid="47466132" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1571e4f2690886299ba4bc169e1b1520311565c51e9bca1d49db0a73f5112a08/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-48.JPG" /> <img width="4256" height="2832" width_o="4256" height_o="2832" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5bf866fab8cf1279bad54b038edbd4ccbdbc257d185321448f1c9646edf3915c/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-19.JPG" data-mid="47466126" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/5bf866fab8cf1279bad54b038edbd4ccbdbc257d185321448f1c9646edf3915c/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-19.JPG" /> The keys to Foekje’s happy home: her husband, hens &amp; herbs Foekje’s vision of sustainable living and eco-friendly consumption runs like a green thread through all areas of her life. Both her and her husband Marcel’s studios make up the ground floor of the breathtaking, eco-friendly home they built with their very own hands. He frequently supports her with visual communications, such as mood films and product imagery. They especially enjoy spending their free time together maintaining and developing their property. Their narrow garden boasts an astoundingly wide variety of edible as well as decorative plants, including thick rows of beanstalks, bushy climbing roses, budding sunflowers, and beds of leafy greens. There is something to discover in even the smallest square centimetre of soil. Her towering artichoke plant at the front of the house is by far the most impressive. Shooting towards the sun, its arms stretched out in all directions, this herbaceous perennial almost feels as though it has taken it upon itself to guard their prime real estate property. Beaming with pride, Foekje admits to being surprised by its stature, especially after having learned that it could eventually grow up to two meters in height The duo went through great lengths to implement sustainable solutions while building their home. The yellow cedar wood decorating their facade was sourced from a Dutch forest which needed to be cut down due to a disease afflicting its trees. Solar panels provide them with year-round energy, and an electric heat pump eliminates their need for gas. Their eco-cycle composter allows them to turn their organic waste into nutrient-rich compost for their garden. Their happy family of chickens supplies them with free range eggs. And plans for the future include a rain collecting unit, which will allow them to utilise water from their roof for their household. One of the couple’s main aims is to become as self-sufficient as possible. Their motto? To shop less and make more; what must be built is constructed by hand, and what needs to be bought is acquired second hand. Just east of Rotterdam’s centre, they are proving that, with enough planning and dedication, conscious living is an attainable urban lifestyle. <img width="4256" height="2832" width_o="4256" height_o="2832" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9f5aabf676415e512fa84879ed4717bb3d43a56c282a590c8e37b00bb554d4ad/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-52.JPG" data-mid="47467107" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9f5aabf676415e512fa84879ed4717bb3d43a56c282a590c8e37b00bb554d4ad/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-52.JPG" /> <img width="4256" height="2832" width_o="4256" height_o="2832" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5d8a47e3c4c545988d671fa800bfe865779de70bc51d69e4816e013f8d6741a9/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-1.JPG" data-mid="47467096" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/5d8a47e3c4c545988d671fa800bfe865779de70bc51d69e4816e013f8d6741a9/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-1.JPG" /> <img width="2832" height="4256" width_o="2832" height_o="4256" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b42605d061549969da9cf7e615f56b140986faa562d70f665a6202b1f6759471/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-53.JPG" data-mid="47466006" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b42605d061549969da9cf7e615f56b140986faa562d70f665a6202b1f6759471/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-53.JPG" /> <img width="2832" height="4256" width_o="2832" height_o="4256" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/59cfdedbc134e9d3675a7cbfc12f39193d98a35afce6a024c7353c9e08956c23/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-54.JPG" data-mid="47466007" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/59cfdedbc134e9d3675a7cbfc12f39193d98a35afce6a024c7353c9e08956c23/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-54.JPG" /> A peek inside Leonidas and the local landscape Projects such as Leonidas, the community Foekje calls home to, demonstrate that Rotterdam’s city planning, at least in part, seems to be heading in the right direction. It remains the responsibility of homeowners everywhere to invest, build and live responsibly if we hope to see a greener future. She underlines the important role a holistic approach such as theirs plays in building a more sustainable future. “In our neighbourhood, the city of Rotterdam has been really strict in regulating how our houses are built. They’re all carbon-neutral when it comes to energy use, so that’s a really good thing. But then you realise that many people here are doing it because they have to by law, not because they really want to. And I find that really difficult to deal with sometimes. To give you an example, I was initially dreaming of living in this little eco-village, but then I realised that many of my neighbours are building with unsustainable materials, planting lawns, and using pesticides.” Nonetheless, Foekje definitely appreciates her city’s state-of-the art recyling programme. “Where we are living, we just have trash, paper, glass and compost. That’s all the separating that people need to do. Robots take care of the rest at a modern waste plant. Apparently they actually separate all the plastic from the regular trash.” She voices concerns, however, as the conversation moves to the consumption of drinking water in Rotterdam; a city where tap water is 200 - 800 times cheaper than its bottled counterpart. She is able to empathise with people who find tedious to carry their own tupperware and cutlery around with them as a means of minimising single-use plastics. But she admits to being baffled whenever she meets people who don’t, at the very least, keep reusable water bottle by their side. For this, she blames the government. “The city of Rotterdam or the government in the Netherlands, in general, should just make it easier to fill up tap water in the city. My favourite restaurant, Spirit, has a tap in the restaurant and you can just go there and help yourself to water while you’re eating.” <img width="4137" height="2753" width_o="4137" height_o="2753" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/598222545601449e65727cb8845b703d5c2bbf6d8da1311d4e3ae38c04b91be1/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-10.JPG" data-mid="47466121" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/598222545601449e65727cb8845b703d5c2bbf6d8da1311d4e3ae38c04b91be1/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-10.JPG" /> These are merely examples of the everyday choices that can go a long way in combating our plastic pandemic. Only if we rethink our own habits and behaviours individually as well as collectively will we be able to instigate change on a wider social, political and economic scale. With creatives such as Foekje dedicating their life’s work to shining the spotlight on these issues and bringing about positive change, the future looks promising. Take a closer look at Foekje’s range of products in her online store on www.foekjefleur.com and join her @foekjefleur community to follow her journey. Images: Elisabeth Ismail&nbsp; Text: Maia FrazierNext ︎ https://bttrstories.com/Chapter-7-Foekje Fri, 26 Jul 2019 09:25:25 +0000 BTTR Stories https://bttrstories.com/Chapter-7-Foekje Chapter 7 Foekje— A Pastel World on a Plastic Planet From the minute you set foot in Foekje Fleurs’s home, you immediately see that her work intricately weaves into her everyday life. The self-proclaimed ‘concept maker’ creates functional, yet thought-provoking objects. While the playful colour palette in her house’s interior artfully mirrors her delightful range of products, the thriving vegetation tracing the border of her property reflects her personal connection to our planet. On a mission to combat plastic waste and motivated to find creative ways to inspire people to alter their habitual consumption, Foekje’s&nbsp;Bottle Vases and Bubble Buddies shine a spotlight on themes close to her heart. <img width="4256" height="2832" width_o="4256" height_o="2832" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ebb724710eecef2cf5bb28422bbc42592eeedfc335fd5ea0f2c6b6306d946feb/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-50.JPG" data-mid="47418790" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ebb724710eecef2cf5bb28422bbc42592eeedfc335fd5ea0f2c6b6306d946feb/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-50.JPG" /> Foekje and her husband built their home in Leonidas, a small eco-community just east of Rotterdam’s centre. A short walk through the car-free, unusual-looking neighbourhood brought us right to her doorstep. No doorbell in sight, we made our way around to the back of the house where we found ourselves standing in front of a self-constructed chicken coup, the birds happily clucking away and going about their business. As we approached, Foekje waved through the glass door, slipped into her garden shoes, and came outside to greet us. After giving us time to meet her family of hens and take some snapshots of her studio, Foekje invited us upstairs to her light-flooded loft for stroopwafels and tea. Her one-of-a-kind pastel décor alongside a lush plant collection gave the living room a unique museum-like feel. Step inside Foekje’s world and learn about the rickety road to her happy home, how she places her trust in consumption, and her newfound fascination for poultry. <img width="4256" height="2832" width_o="4256" height_o="2832" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7dd02c0a2d083536cafc2cbb614a8dc9e71cc3b3d3822ee51a976ea11cbf2d77/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-21.JPG" data-mid="47418861" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/7dd02c0a2d083536cafc2cbb614a8dc9e71cc3b3d3822ee51a976ea11cbf2d77/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-21.JPG" /> <img width="4256" height="2832" width_o="4256" height_o="2832" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/73ea848227c6eda119e0c916e28d3bd4ca4759b3af035ba7e72cd3dbb05e0bf6/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-47.JPG" data-mid="47418864" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/73ea848227c6eda119e0c916e28d3bd4ca4759b3af035ba7e72cd3dbb05e0bf6/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-47.JPG" /> Describe a typical day in your life. Well, my current schedule is very different compared to my usual one because I recently had surgery, so in the afternoons I’m mostly just sleeping. Usually, we wake up around 7:30 a.m. and eat breakfast. Then my intern comes over, and we spend the day working; she’s at her desk, and I’m at mine. We try to work on everything simultaneously, meaning a little bit of design, then some sales, and then we go back and forth like that throughout the day. In the evenings, my husband Marcel and I prepare dinner and eat. Then we usually have another activity planned, like gardening or visiting people. A lot of the time, people also come over for dinner. It’s a really great house to have guests over, and it will be even better when we have the terrace on the roof. As a concept maker, your work strikes up conversations on topics such as waste and overconsumption. What are you doing in your everyday life to combat these issues? I think that consumption is the most important voice that people have when it comes to instigating change. Of course, you can vote for change, but I also see that people around me are placing less and less trust in politics, and more trust in consumption. I try not to purchase from companies that I don’t trust or that don’t share the same values. So that’s one way I try to make a difference. Another way Marcel and I try to reduce our impact is by purchasing as much as we can second-hand. We go on Marktplaats, which is kind of like the Dutch eBay, for everything: clothes, furniture, even IKEA furniture. And then we also try to make the right choices when it comes to the things we eat. We try to grow as much as possible ourselves. <img width="4256" height="2832" width_o="4256" height_o="2832" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/730bc7d76ff1a226aa0b6c98db69bb1c20f908d81cb4765d4cbbf705da3fa5f0/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-26.JPG" data-mid="47419271" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/730bc7d76ff1a226aa0b6c98db69bb1c20f908d81cb4765d4cbbf705da3fa5f0/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-26.JPG" /> <img width="4256" height="2832" width_o="4256" height_o="2832" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1ef7512fda3b0605d54c05dad02a9a89a7afd70122996218fc62e5300acef3a6/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-40.JPG" data-mid="47419747" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1ef7512fda3b0605d54c05dad02a9a89a7afd70122996218fc62e5300acef3a6/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-40.JPG" /> Looking at the narrow piece of land around your house, it’s incredible to see how much you are doing. You seem to have done a lot of careful planning to optimise the minimal space available to you.Yeah, you really can do a lot with very little. Just by doing it, you start thinking about what you have and what you need. You also value the things you buy in stores more. Last year I was already amazed—we only had about half the plot we have now, but we were already growing so much of our food from it. Even when we went on holiday in early October, we still had things we could harvest from the garden. At first, we weren’t sure what to do with it. We knew that if we left it, it would probably be gone by the time we got back. So for the first ten days of our holidays, we didn’t do any grocery shopping—we were eating from our garden while we were in Sweden. <img width="2832" height="4256" width_o="2832" height_o="4256" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1a450a56d272abace96b6c36d4f75ba67ae8be3480eebe1799b6488a183f209b/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-23.JPG" data-mid="47419599" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1a450a56d272abace96b6c36d4f75ba67ae8be3480eebe1799b6488a183f209b/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-23.JPG" /> <img width="2762" height="4151" width_o="2762" height_o="4151" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/63d81d22b2641c4f31a4d391a91603f3bed4a20e46011967f92a91792011890a/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-14.JPG" data-mid="47419739" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/63d81d22b2641c4f31a4d391a91603f3bed4a20e46011967f92a91792011890a/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-14.JPG" /> So what is the story behind your beautiful home? Marcel and I had been thinking about buying a house for a long time. We had been looking at this housing website called Funda, but we didn’t really find something that suited our needs. Everything that I liked we would have had to rebuild, and he didn’t feel much for that. I had also seen this project, but it was way too expensive for us. Two years later we saw it again, and they had made these calculations—later it would turn out that they had been done by an intern and were totally inaccurate—but, according to these calculations, we could afford to buy this house. We felt like it was totally up our alley because the project focused on the construction of eco-homes. The plots were expensive, but not as expensive as you’d expect at the centre of Rotterdam because they’re encouraging people to buy these types of homes. <img width="4256" height="2832" width_o="4256" height_o="2832" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c0491b75cc45e5d85bffa542ab8a3b85da8921a536ecc2ad25bb2a49c8168de1/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-52.JPG" data-mid="47418991" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c0491b75cc45e5d85bffa542ab8a3b85da8921a536ecc2ad25bb2a49c8168de1/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-52.JPG" /> <img width="3953" height="2630" width_o="3953" height_o="2630" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4f24cca34a5268f4685398c85de988700a7d7b9f58c9838aa0536eb467983c2c/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-13.JPG" data-mid="47419546" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4f24cca34a5268f4685398c85de988700a7d7b9f58c9838aa0536eb467983c2c/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-13.JPG" /> <img width="4256" height="2832" width_o="4256" height_o="2832" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6485a25c1f46783ca6d62764f29f68b24a7852f6f72e1a0d1eb1be9e0cd16242/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-6.JPG" data-mid="47419414" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6485a25c1f46783ca6d62764f29f68b24a7852f6f72e1a0d1eb1be9e0cd16242/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-6.JPG" />We decided to go for it, but it turned out the project was really popular. The second phase, our phase, was ‘who comes first buys first’, so we realised we stood a chance, we just had to be FIRST. And then all these rumours started circulating that people were going to camp in front of the office on the day when the sales opened to be there first. At the time, it was already common in Amsterdam that people would camp outside for months just to get a piece of land, but not in Rotterdam. We really wanted this plot, so the Friday before the sales opened, I was talking to the broker, and gave him just a little bit too much information and realised he might have a nephew or someone who wanted the same plot. I got really worried because we could only afford this plot or the one next to it. So when I told Marcel what I had done he said: “Okay, you have to go camping NOW!” So I just went and sat on the doorstep at the broker’s and then we spent the weekend there. Mind you, this was early March, so it was still freezing, but Marcel came with a tent and we had a lot of fun. So that’s how we got the plot. Then we started designing and getting quotes from contractors, and that is when we found out that the calculations we had seen before were completely inaccurate; they were like 200K under what it would cost to build something. We didn’t know what to do because we wanted to build a house, so the only solution was to do most of it ourselves. We had the contractor do the basic construction, but then we did all the walls, the electricity and everything else. A year later, meaning last year, we did the exterior. So for the first year, the interior was semi-finished, but the exterior was just foil. All in all, it took about three years until we actually moved in. You are a self-proclaimed ‘chicken lover’. Tell me about your obsession with these quirky birds. I have to admit, while Marcel enjoys birdwatching, I was never really into birds until we got chickens. We were mostly vegan, but then we figured that if we had our own chickens and could take good care of them, we’d be okay with eating eggs. So we tried it and it turned out that I was actually the one who liked them more. At first, I was just interested in chickens. Now that I am beginning to understand their behaviour—how they think, how they feel—I am also more interested in other birds. It’s also just really fun to wake up in the morning and see them there. We’ve had chickens that would call for us, which was really cute. Others are really into hugging. They all have their own intelligence and ways of doing things; their personalities are quite different from one another. It’s a great way to have pets. I like cats and dogs too, but I especially like that our chickens get to live life outdoors. It’s almost like they are on their own. In a way, they could survive without us, but we like to help them. <img width="4256" height="2832" width_o="4256" height_o="2832" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/238ba6849d99175d4d42894b8152c3731d6ebfb52ba20ef1b07cd6885e94197b/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-3.JPG" data-mid="47419083" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/238ba6849d99175d4d42894b8152c3731d6ebfb52ba20ef1b07cd6885e94197b/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-3.JPG" /> <img width="4256" height="2832" width_o="4256" height_o="2832" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/93c407e465199dda1186165e3fe1aaa4971491662fb9219a7a03e8a2a83ff4c6/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-4.JPG" data-mid="47419098" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/93c407e465199dda1186165e3fe1aaa4971491662fb9219a7a03e8a2a83ff4c6/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-4.JPG" /><img width="4256" height="2832" width_o="4256" height_o="2832" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ff5952ae86110a6349910a02849e831d0709148d9008c9980ae39330732db851/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-51.JPG" data-mid="47419114" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ff5952ae86110a6349910a02849e831d0709148d9008c9980ae39330732db851/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-51.JPG" /> <img width="4256" height="2832" width_o="4256" height_o="2832" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/80e2c2431cf26ee0f0ab97dca8b1fd6851845987c79ec7bceaffbab8b4aea6f1/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-32.JPG" data-mid="47420316" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/80e2c2431cf26ee0f0ab97dca8b1fd6851845987c79ec7bceaffbab8b4aea6f1/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-32.JPG" /> Who has supported you most in your endeavours over the past decade?Probably my husband, Marcel. He’s been very supportive, always helping me out with product videos and photos and that kind of thing. He’s also just really kind. On the business front, I don’t really have a partner, but Middle Kingdom has definitely always been good to me. They’ve given me really great opportunities, and it’s been lots of fun working with them, so I’m really thankful for that as well. And then, of course, my parents, they are also supportive in their own way. Turning back to your work: with your bottle series, you are calling attention to the pollution of waters the world over. How would you describe your relationship with water? I am a very guilty shower taker. I like taking showers, but whenever I’m in the shower, I feel guilty about the amount of water that I’m using. As a result, we constructed our house so that we can build a water recycling unit behind this wall to make use of the water coming from the roof. That said, I’m always happy to read that the best way to save water is by not eating meat. We haven’t done that in...forever...so that makes me feel a little less guilty about my showers. Generally speaking, at home we try to be very conscious of our water use. I think it’s really going to be a problem in the future. I find the way we have water here in Rotterdam extremely indulgent because the quality of our drinking water here is better than any spa or fountain. <img width="4256" height="2832" width_o="4256" height_o="2832" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e2e798ed7e223c3306277a552a1b997bb0c4c8091b0a9b661822f23aa37d23a1/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-20.JPG" data-mid="47419542" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e2e798ed7e223c3306277a552a1b997bb0c4c8091b0a9b661822f23aa37d23a1/FoekjeFleur-BTTRSTORIES-ElisabethIsmailPhotography-20.JPG" /> What do you do when you’re not busy working for your brand? I have to admit: work takes up most of my time. Of course, Marcel and I also spend a lot of time with friends and family. I also like sewing and shopping online for second-hand clothing, but I probably shouldn’t be buying as much as I do. Sometimes we’ll watch a TV series, just like anyone else, I suppose. We’re both crafty and like working on the house. There’s always something that needs to be done. Never a dull moment really. Thank you, Foekje. Interview: Maia FrazierImages: Elisabeth Ismail Next&nbsp;︎ https://bttrstories.com/Chapter-6-Other-Nature Sat, 27 Apr 2019 16:01:20 +0000 BTTR Stories https://bttrstories.com/Chapter-6-Other-Nature Chapter 6OTHER NATURE Sex. Most of us have it, many of us enjoy it. While some talk about it more openly than others, conversations around our sexuality and sexual activities are widely considered a private matter—only to be explored or discussed behind closed doors. I once had sex with a person who could only ejaculate if I sat on his face. Another was significantly more turned on by the sight of my derrière than my visage, and almost seemed a bit bored by any attempts at eye contact, yet delighted when I let him touch my asshole. The most silent lover I ever had would carefully alternate between strong thrusts and slow movements, all the while never making a sound. Reflecting on these experiences, I quickly realise that I’ve discovered almost as much about other people’s bodies in the past decade as I have about my own. At this point, as a writer, I can’t help but wonder, have I made someone feel uneasy? Intrigued? Amused? Ashamed? Annoyed? Aroused? We all have a right to experience feelings, and this is precisely where Other Nature comes into the picture—first, by striking up a conversation; then by providing individuals with a safe space where they can both ask and listen; and last, but certainly not least, by striving to communicate a sense of normality around the unique nature of every individual’s sexuality and sexual preferences. <img width="2400" height="1600" width_o="2400" height_o="1600" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e3cc9e0adfadc63b8221a5de909ebba83dfa7ece66e64254e23d77ab9090d1d6/_12_00083_XS.jpg" data-mid="40957961" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e3cc9e0adfadc63b8221a5de909ebba83dfa7ece66e64254e23d77ab9090d1d6/_12_00083_XS.jpg" /> <img width="2103" height="1365" width_o="2103" height_o="1365" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e8955c132e75fafe4b3a56b8dedb5a76ce9f6c0a50d45b3a3982c27d2308a5c8/_16_00087_XS.jpg" data-mid="40957968" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e8955c132e75fafe4b3a56b8dedb5a76ce9f6c0a50d45b3a3982c27d2308a5c8/_16_00087_XS.jpg" /> Other Nature is a feminist, queer, sex-positive, eco-friendly and vegan sex shop located at the heart of Berlin, co-founded by Sara Rodenhizer in 2011. Eight years later, she remains as eager as ever to elaborate on the principles that have guided her vision since day one. “These terms can seem very loaded, but we intentionally associate ourselves with them so that people can understand how we make decisions. In practice, it doesn’t mean that you have to identify with these values. At Other Nature, everyone is welcome. It’s our hope that being in this space, taking in the cozy atmosphere and sex info in all its forms, will support people in feeling OK exactly as they are—whether they’re confident or nervous, whether they know lots already or very little. Mostly, the sex education that we get out in the world, both as kids and as adults, is extremely lacking and deficient...but you are not. Conveying this sense of “I’m OK-ness” is part of what we do in the day-to-day.” <img width="2400" height="1600" width_o="2400" height_o="1600" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/24832205ef519204c7c197f01fbde35cec3b252c5290b1e05f2cd0777589bd75/16A_00041_XS.jpg" data-mid="40957991" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/24832205ef519204c7c197f01fbde35cec3b252c5290b1e05f2cd0777589bd75/16A_00041_XS.jpg" /> <img width="2400" height="1600" width_o="2400" height_o="1600" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3ae8c56c25b30252e287287014a1d51d35464ca2fd162885c79c5e7d33dbd422/_19_00043_XS.jpg" data-mid="40957973" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3ae8c56c25b30252e287287014a1d51d35464ca2fd162885c79c5e7d33dbd422/_19_00043_XS.jpg" /> Come as you are The Other Nature team goes through great lengths to carefully select every item with the utmost respect for the diversity of its customer base in mind. Hence, whether you are flipping through erotic books or buying nicely-packaged butt plugs, you won’t find any misogynist content displayed on the store’s shelves. In addition to offering a wide assortment of sex toys, accessories, literature, porn, menstrual products and knick-knacks, the store also hosts regular workshops that invite you to dive deeper into topics such as blowjobs and dirty talk. The shop also puts on regular art exhibitions and events, as well as fun, educational home parties where customers can broaden their horizons in the realms of sex toys and period products. In a world where conversations around sex are often swept under the carpet, Other Nature is shaking up societal norms by providing people with a safe and welcoming environment where they are invited to discover, explore and express their sexuality freely. Other Nature engages with ideas of societal norms and expectations on a daily basis—an inevitability when working in the field of sex education—leading the team to constantly question where these ideas come from and how they affect our sense of self and relationships to others. “Normal is just a construct we’ve created to make sense of our own experience in the world, and too often to judge other people’s experiences against our own. It’s a bit of a contradiction, because on the one hand, we’re saying that normal doesn’t really exist, but on the other, we’re constantly trying to ‘normalize’ ideas around sexuality and expand the definition of ‘normal’,” Sara explains. “Personally, I think the language of ‘normality’ is useful insofar as it’s a concept that’s part of people’s realities. But eventually, I’d like to see us all do away with it.” Sara can confirm in no uncertain terms that, if a customer feels at all insecure in their lack of knowledge around a topic, or their anxieties about a personal issue or sexual desire, they are definitely not alone. “People generally don’t talk to each other about sex stuff, so it’s no surprise that they feel weird or alone sometimes. But here at Other Nature, we talk to all sorts of people, and I can tell you: you are not the only one…no matter what it is.” She goes on to point out the paradox around sex in our society, “Though most of us aren't talking to each other about sex, either because we're uncomfortable or it's considered taboo, sex is still everywhere around us. It’s on billboards. It’s in porn. It’s on TV. The problem is that, in these spaces, we are being told how we ‘should’ be. But that just contributes to our fears about being wrong in some way, which is straight up bogus. There are more interesting conversations to be had that will open people up to just how many different ‘normalities’ are out there, and how truly magnificent that is for all of us.” Though there is still a way to go, she seems confident that the future is looking bright for her cause. Across Europe and North America, shops, brands and services which embody values similar to those of Other Nature are steadily on the rise. Consequently, a wider audience is finding empowerment in the beauty of individuality and diversity. In the years to come, Sara has high hopes that we will be seeing more of these likeminded spaces. <img width="2400" height="1600" width_o="2400" height_o="1600" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/fb4743276990747eb5a47e9f315e3f5981aa3685a3797c77016c353f5f9c4179/_24_00047_XS.jpg" data-mid="40957980" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/fb4743276990747eb5a47e9f315e3f5981aa3685a3797c77016c353f5f9c4179/_24_00047_XS.jpg" /> <img width="1600" height="2400" width_o="1600" height_o="2400" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/dd83805f9d3e8ab8c13476e2b524b589ce5d47b08879669087a575023424f3dd/14A_00039_XS.jpg" data-mid="40957987" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/dd83805f9d3e8ab8c13476e2b524b589ce5d47b08879669087a575023424f3dd/14A_00039_XS.jpg" /> <img width="1317" height="1958" width_o="1317" height_o="1958" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/74019c354dc9ee49dad53c8392bec2e58f6220db3bc4d5c58fac6bc903846f20/10A_00035_XS.jpg" data-mid="40957982" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/74019c354dc9ee49dad53c8392bec2e58f6220db3bc4d5c58fac6bc903846f20/10A_00035_XS.jpg" /> <img width="1600" height="2400" width_o="1600" height_o="2400" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0dc907a5f7c01158687e7738d53a570fdf7f101585e401f8d1420894d48c2b73/_9A_00034_XS.jpg" data-mid="40957957" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0dc907a5f7c01158687e7738d53a570fdf7f101585e401f8d1420894d48c2b73/_9A_00034_XS.jpg" /><img width="1600" height="2400" width_o="1600" height_o="2400" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0cd2cc42d341a87af903d0e59b70ca6dea82e2dc1ab25f8079920c8cd55013a1/_37_00051_XS.jpg" data-mid="40957981" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0cd2cc42d341a87af903d0e59b70ca6dea82e2dc1ab25f8079920c8cd55013a1/_37_00051_XS.jpg" />An industry plagued by toxic materials and messaging Other Nature’s eco-friendly and vegan principles shine a spotlight on the ethical practices, and the lack thereof, in the modern-day marketplace. Upon turning the conversation to sustainability, Sara is quick to underline that many sex toys are not inherently green, “We sell vibrators. These are not usually plastic-free. Our goal is to offer people more sustainable options than they would find in their average sex toy store.” Much like in the food sector, consumers in the sex toy industry are beginning to demand higher quality products, namely items that are more body friendly and easier on the environment. People are paying more attention to materials and labels, seeking out 100% silicone, non-porous and cruelty-free products. <img width="2400" height="1600" width_o="2400" height_o="1600" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9b99cf13de96fee82a954b652706af3b7fa90264437874aa478456145e02a6e6/_20_00091_XS.jpg" data-mid="40957977" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9b99cf13de96fee82a954b652706af3b7fa90264437874aa478456145e02a6e6/_20_00091_XS.jpg" /><img width="2400" height="1600" width_o="2400" height_o="1600" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f492cbd18c1b84d9fa09f454c1ae91fd135b61c6be01609e6f354bfd63cc7760/_3A_00029_XS.jpg" data-mid="40957954" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f492cbd18c1b84d9fa09f454c1ae91fd135b61c6be01609e6f354bfd63cc7760/_3A_00029_XS.jpg" /> Over the past decade, Sara has observed an industry-wide shift in supply to meet this demand—even in shops that are miles away from associating themselves with feminist ideals or prescribing to sustainability standards of any form. Consumers today can purchase 100% silicone toys in most mainstream sex toy stores. However, not all silicone is made equal in an industry that is severely under-regulated. As a result, it is not uncommon to find packaging presenting misleading information, and seemingly ‘healthy' products are often infused with toxic fillers to secure bigger margins. Most mainstream shops still carry an assortment of porous, highly toxic sex toys that contain dangerous chemical plastic softeners, called Phthalates. The negative impacts that these chemicals have on our health and the environment cannot be ignored. Sara explains how Other Nature is tackling these challenges, “We see a lot of deceptiveness with manufacturers, which is why it’s so difficult for customers to know what they are getting. We are extremely selective with our partners and only work with brands that we trust and are in constant communication with. We take a lot of time to find and meet the people we choose to work with, and we favour working with smaller companies—especially women-, trans*-, and/or queer-owned companies. At the same time, we want to offer a broad range of toys for many different bodies. So it all comes down to striking a delicate balance—we need to find enough brands that we actually want to work with, while still catering to people’s diversity.” Thus, the team at Other Nature can guide its customers in the right direction based, not only on their desires, but also on their priorities. While some people may be more interested in purchasing products from queer manufacturers, others are more concerned with choosing brands that minimise their CO2 emissions. The Other Nature team prides itself in its holistic approach. As an example, they recently came up with a plan to work with existing partners to reduce excessive packaging in favour of more sustainable solutions. They plan to contact brands one by one and present them with insights and ideas about how to put this into practice. “It’s in their power to change that” Sara bluntly states. “Yes, the government can force companies or industries to change, for example by banning plastic bags, but it’s more of a statement if it comes from them. There’s no good enough reason not to do it right now.” Indeed, cost factors aside, there is nothing to dictate that synthetic products cannot be packaged in more Earth-friendly, responsible ways. Whether these seeds will bear fruits remains to be seen. <img width="2400" height="1600" width_o="2400" height_o="1600" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9bdf2515ff7c9a9a490466ea979ced77bd24b090012419d29eb9d7b671cb4fbe/__6_00078_XS.jpg" data-mid="40957949" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9bdf2515ff7c9a9a490466ea979ced77bd24b090012419d29eb9d7b671cb4fbe/__6_00078_XS.jpg" /> <img width="1600" height="2400" width_o="1600" height_o="2400" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6f006d80788264783dec7d25e2141c2c56aa9e12ac79a22119dd5e4b97364f2a/__3_00075_XS.jpg" data-mid="40957943" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6f006d80788264783dec7d25e2141c2c56aa9e12ac79a22119dd5e4b97364f2a/__3_00075_XS.jpg" /> <img width="1600" height="2400" width_o="1600" height_o="2400" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9c157244b5c58c4004a4172d8d37140da06656014eb288743b43b83d2c8c2ad3/15A_00040_XS.jpg" data-mid="40957989" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9c157244b5c58c4004a4172d8d37140da06656014eb288743b43b83d2c8c2ad3/15A_00040_XS.jpg" /> <img width="1600" height="2400" width_o="1600" height_o="2400" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f0f4e1e296b1d93b48bc18c92ad07353155de7d03b6145ae403bb4cc14f284e5/_5A_00031_XS.jpg" data-mid="40957956" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f0f4e1e296b1d93b48bc18c92ad07353155de7d03b6145ae403bb4cc14f284e5/_5A_00031_XS.jpg" /> <img width="1600" height="2400" width_o="1600" height_o="2400" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/ace4f3dfbc2d3673dd79335ca9dbd6d18e3fb3c16600e74d67e9c6595c31742a/11A_00036_XS.jpg" data-mid="40957984" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/ace4f3dfbc2d3673dd79335ca9dbd6d18e3fb3c16600e74d67e9c6595c31742a/11A_00036_XS.jpg" /> They can, and they doWhile Sara lives and breathes Other Nature, she is by no means a one-woman show. Almost a decade into the business, she feels blessed to be surrounded by such a passionate and dedicated group of individuals who propel her vision forwards. Other Nature’s Store Manager Lukas, for example, shares Sara’s penchant for ethical manufacturing. In her own words, “He loves researching the different products, and getting the know the ins and outs of them all—we’re both really nerdy in that sense. I also really appreciate his chilled vibe as it keeps the store in balance, especially when things get hectic.” Kitty, the Director of Education and Community Outreach is constantly working to broaden the store’s customer base with her hands-on approach, expertise and commitment to both youth and adult sex ed. Then there is Maja, Other Nature’s politically engaged Online Shop Manager, who contribute valuable perspectives from and to the work that they do outside of the shop. Most recently, Ali joined the team as the Toy Party Coordinator to manage what Sara jokingly referred to as Other Nature’s “army of toy party facilitators” who bring Other Nature into homes all over Berlin and beyond. She also attributes a lot of her strength and determination to the positive support they receive from the local community, “Our neighbours have been very friendly and welcoming. In general, I feel everyone in Berlin has been so encouraging. Every day people come in and tell us what a great space Other Nature is and how comfortable they feel here. We don’t get paid much, but this is definitely a big part of the reward.” However many responsibilities Sara finds herself juggling simultaneously, the interactions with and feedback from customers on the floor remain the elements she loves most about her job. The foundation for a better future? Education.If you were 'lucky’ enough to have had some form of sexual education in school, you probably learned cis*normative basics that men have penises and women have vaginas, and unprotected sex leads to unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. Perhaps you were even shown some informative slides or videos before being tasked with pulling a latex condom over some lengthy wooden object. Most sex education for youth does very little to shed light on the fact that humans are complex and unique sexual beings. It is rare that concepts of gender or sexuality are built into curriculums in schools, which is a great cause for concern in Sara’s eyes. “The free porn they [teenagers] see online is their sexual education. And that is—if you look at much of the porn out there—quite problematic.” Despite the hurdles they face as an over 18’s-only space, Other Nature is committed to bringing better sex education to people of all ages, and dedicates resources towards supporting and educating youth in Berlin. For one, they arrange private appointments outside of the shop with trans* and non-binary youth who want to try on a range of gender expression gear, such as packers, breast pads, or binders. They also offer a not-for-profit all-ages programme for gender expression gear, called The Fitting Room.&nbsp;And, of course, their online sex info and advice pages are extremely helpful and accessible to anyone. *Note: someone is cis-gender if the gender they were assigned at birth (“It’s a girl!”) matches their current gender identity (“I am a girl/woman.”). <img width="2400" height="1600" width_o="2400" height_o="1600" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d9b0f4b47a0316cfcee4457f5d3d6b86095e35bb3e1d3e431f27b388deab0852/__1_00053_XS.jpg" data-mid="40957939" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d9b0f4b47a0316cfcee4457f5d3d6b86095e35bb3e1d3e431f27b388deab0852/__1_00053_XS.jpg" /> <img width="2400" height="1600" width_o="2400" height_o="1600" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/cf5505034d9d87b8ebf5c7996e0a6eda8374c1324e95cbaaf4874610347d320d/__0_00072_XS.jpg" data-mid="40957938" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/cf5505034d9d87b8ebf5c7996e0a6eda8374c1324e95cbaaf4874610347d320d/__0_00072_XS.jpg" /> <img width="2400" height="1600" width_o="2400" height_o="1600" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c3d5478d3c25e52543d6d11de5ad7b7847111fd647e276072dc7d600e815bb7a/17A_00042_XS.jpg" data-mid="40957992" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c3d5478d3c25e52543d6d11de5ad7b7847111fd647e276072dc7d600e815bb7a/17A_00042_XS.jpg" />One (wo)man’s pain is another (wo)man’s pleasureSome of the most common questions asked by customers who visit Other Nature are around the topic of pleasure. Whether it’s the penis or vagina, prostate or G-spot, people seem especially eager to learn more about the body’s various parts and erogenous zones. Sara reasons that pleasure is so connected with feelings of safety, comfort, and self-knowledge, which makes it central to how we experience ourselves and each other as sexual beings. Whether in the form of an in-depth anatomy lesson, a quick in-store chat, or an involved consultation, the staff is continuously working to encourage a sphere of learning and exploration. “The world of curiosity and pleasure opens up when you take down barriers to education and self-discovery” Sara explains. Today, Other Nature’s product range, services and customer base are wonderfully diverse. While the business is flourishing on many fronts, there is still much work to be done if you examine the mental and physical state of society as a whole. In addition to continually seeking to inspire their existing community, Sara and her team are always working to reach out to new people. They are highly invested in findings ways to engage with individuals who would perhaps not usually walk into the store—in the past, this has included adventures such as a toy party at the Museum der Dinge and stall at the green trade fair Heldenmarkt. With lots of exciting workshops and events on the agenda, it will undoubtedly continue to be exciting to follow Other Nature’s norm-challenging journey in the months and years to come. <img width="2400" height="1600" width_o="2400" height_o="1600" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3360db43da764142eef52f4f296110d05386747a5d0702c46f1692248d9a8d04/__5_00077_XS.jpg" data-mid="40957947" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3360db43da764142eef52f4f296110d05386747a5d0702c46f1692248d9a8d04/__5_00077_XS.jpg" /> Pay a visit to&nbsp;other-nature.de online or, better yet, stop by their store on Mehringdamm in Berlin. Images: Valeria Sambale Text: Maia FrazierNext ︎ https://bttrstories.com/Chapter-6-Sara Sun, 21 Apr 2019 07:29:31 +0000 BTTR Stories https://bttrstories.com/Chapter-6-Sara Chapter 6 Sara— Let’s talk about sex. Since Other Nature’s founding back in 2011, Sara Rodenhizer’s brainchild has taken Berlin by storm. The feminist, queer, sex-positive, eco-friendly and vegan sex shop is creating noise in an industry which is still very much thwarted by heteronormativity, patriarchy and misogyny alongside environmentally destructive products and practices. Whether she is examining the bigger picture or delving into her daily work, at the crux of it all, Sara strives to combat socially constructed ideals of normality. As the Other Nature website aptly states: “There are over 7 billion different kinds of normal on this planet… and they’re all welcome here!” <img width="2400" height="1600" width_o="2400" height_o="1600" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/df775a0fe9e95d11fbd1a8f218bbce9d774cfc11f0678be0581266a15cc4298f/_17_00066_XS.jpg" data-mid="40492670" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/df775a0fe9e95d11fbd1a8f218bbce9d774cfc11f0678be0581266a15cc4298f/_17_00066_XS.jpg" /> Despite Other Nature’s success, Sara herself is not one to seek out the limelight. She much prefers keeping herself busy behind the counter, restocking shelves, answering walk-in customers’ questions and driving forward the business with her team. Nevertheless, she invited us over for a cup of tea in the book room, where she happily opened up about her path, vision and ideals. Take a peek inside Sara’s world to learn more about her enthusiasm for selling sex toys, the problems she sees in most forms of sex education as they stand today, and her mission to foster more butt positivity. <img width="2400" height="1600" width_o="2400" height_o="1600" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1b38a73bb88d17f751452d9e693838c0ed87131a75290d5326ed8bb93b3eef14/__5_00057_XS.jpg" data-mid="40492651" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1b38a73bb88d17f751452d9e693838c0ed87131a75290d5326ed8bb93b3eef14/__5_00057_XS.jpg" /> <img width="2400" height="1600" width_o="2400" height_o="1600" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/73ea3c3e417c18e346ebe69b11dc5b54909403abee202f07073e426af89b1480/_2A_00028_XS.jpg" data-mid="40492659" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/73ea3c3e417c18e346ebe69b11dc5b54909403abee202f07073e426af89b1480/_2A_00028_XS.jpg" /> Where did your interest in the sex toy industry and sex education come from? What is it about your work that you are so deeply passionate about? My passion for this work definitely began—and just kept on growing—from working at Venus Envy, an awesome feminist sex shop in Ottawa, Canada, where I worked for many years. When I started at Venus Envy, I was doing my undergrad in English Literature, and I was way more interested in reading all the sex books than I was the books from the so-called literary “canon” (works almost entirely written by white cis-gender English men). Tough choice, right? In terms of what it is that I’m so passionate about, I think it ultimately comes down to my belief that having access to good, comprehensive and compassionate sex ed can actually change the world for the better. Although the state of things right now can feel pretty overwhelming and discouraging—knowing how far society still needs to go, for example, to improve sex education in schools or eradicate gender-based violence and discrimination—it's this big picture stuff that drives me and offers the biggest, most challenging goals. Given the spectrum of important topics that sex ed encompasses—consent, gender, pleasure, anatomy, body image, STIs, communication, relationships, porn, power, privilege, harassment, abuse etc.—it seems to me like a no-brainer that sex ed shouldn’t be some after-thought (if even a thought at all), or niche business, but rather a central part in the re-imagining of our societies. And though our reach as a small shop is relatively limited, we’re nonetheless actively engaging in this re-imagining, and seeing first-hand the positive impact that talking openly and honestly about sexuality can have. It’s pretty awesome. <img width="1600" height="2400" width_o="1600" height_o="2400" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/49dbfa1bd46fc40121e73d94a80480df73ca3c9eff8c07b20861536d9541cc51/__6_00058_XS.jpg" data-mid="40492653" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/49dbfa1bd46fc40121e73d94a80480df73ca3c9eff8c07b20861536d9541cc51/__6_00058_XS.jpg" /> <img width="2400" height="1600" width_o="2400" height_o="1600" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2276f52c9f6216101025e55426376a183521cd866b4f0ff40ff2fc6f911f165f/_11_00062_XS.jpg" data-mid="40492664" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2276f52c9f6216101025e55426376a183521cd866b4f0ff40ff2fc6f911f165f/_11_00062_XS.jpg" /> You're a Canadian citizen operating your own business in Germany. What challenges have you faced here? The biggest challenge for me has been German. When I started Other Nature, I hardly spoke any German, and over the years, my German has gotten much better, but it’s still not great. Talking with customers is one thing, and the language differences can actually be a nice meeting ground sometimes…We’re in a sex shop, but we’re speaking about language and geography and culture, and not about sex per se, so there’s time to relax and settle in before talking about actual sex stuff. For some people, it’s easier to talk about more intimate subjects in a second language. Where my lacking German skills really bring me down is when I have to do administration, which is pretty much all the time. Earlier, you spoke about empathy and how your own experiences have helped shape the way you engage with the people who visit Other Nature. Can you elaborate on this? I’m an incredibly shy person, which often surprises people, probably because I’m also quite smiley and excitable…Maybe also because I spend my days talking to strangers about sex. But these things are all true. And, though my shyness is sometimes an obstacle that prevents me from doing certain things, like giving workshops, it’s also a gift in some ways, because it allows me to empathise with customers who feel nervous coming into a sex shop or asking their sex questions. For example, I immediately relate to people who b-line to the book room, even when they really want to ask about butt stuff. I myself was the person who managed to ask about menstrual products on my first or second visit to the sex shop, but waited until my third or fourth before even approaching the dildo wall. So now, all these years later, and with the help of the incredible sex educators, I’ve had the privilege of knowing and working with, I think that part of the reason why I'm able to create an environment where people feel OK talking about sex is because I know the amazing relief and freedom that comes with letting go of—or even just confronting—my own weirdness and shame and feelings of being judged. And I want to help others have that experience too. <img width="2400" height="1600" width_o="2400" height_o="1600" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2988ecdaeb32832ce09e9c8cce05d1c0f4e530c90cac8583023f32e0ebdb3703/_20_00069_XS.jpg" data-mid="40492675" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2988ecdaeb32832ce09e9c8cce05d1c0f4e530c90cac8583023f32e0ebdb3703/_20_00069_XS.jpg" /> <img width="2400" height="1600" width_o="2400" height_o="1600" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/de478375bd2ca37172cad58b7f3c41833e6239fce3503fc4c0d3b7082d75ed3c/_17_00088_XS.jpg" data-mid="40492671" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/de478375bd2ca37172cad58b7f3c41833e6239fce3503fc4c0d3b7082d75ed3c/_17_00088_XS.jpg" /> How do you demystify sexual education and make it more available/seem more ‘natural’ to people? We still have a long way to go when it comes to bringing good sex education to the mainstream, and need to get even more creative in finding ways to show–and sometimes even convince–people why services and spaces like Other Nature are necessary for a functioning society. As a feminist business, we often struggle with the capitalistic context in which we operate: that in order for us to stay open and do important educational work, we also need to sell stuff. It helps that we sell things that we truly stand behind and that give people pleasure, but the fact that the bottom line is even a factor can be disheartening. But as Lynn Comella pointed out in Vibrator Nation, her awesome book about the rise of the feminist sex shop in the US, connecting sex education with shopping has its advantages when it comes to making sex ed accessible. Most people are familiar with the shopping experience and know broadly what to expect. Whereas lots of people will never avail themselves of a sex therapist or other counselling services, maybe because it puts them in quite a vulnerable position in some ways, or those services aren’t financially accessible. However, going into a shop is within most people’s comfort zone. So doing sex ed as a business is definitely one way of making it more available to people. One of the biggest disappointments that comes with doing sex ed as a sex shop is that our services and expertise are largely off-limits to people under the age of 18, because in Germany you have to be 18 to enter a sex shop. I personally think this is ridiculous, when so many young people are having sex before they’re 18. As a society, we’re failing young people in a very big way—probably because adults are so messed up by their own lack of good sex ed! It’s a vicious cycle. Meanwhile, one of the main issues on people’s radar these days, including in the media, is that children and youth can access free porn online from almost anywhere, and how this is negatively impacting their sexual development. But there’s surprisingly little conversation going on about how this free online porn is their sex education, and that we could actually help the situation dramatically by offering young people a much fuller, more appropriate, and less anxiety inducing education about sex related stuff. No matter what we do, kids are going to watch internet porn, so let’s give them some tools to be able to put what they’re watching in perspective. Also, they need to be given a space where they can talk about what they saw and how it made them feel. Teenagers are having sex—all kinds of sex—but can’t even walk into a sex store and buy lube. Obviously, there’s a strong need for more access to education on all levels. <img width="2400" height="1600" width_o="2400" height_o="1600" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/86c338397ae34bd8e11fb30801ea532ebb3554954d764c2bf49ad9bc19d6e20f/__7_00079_XS.jpg" data-mid="40492657" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/86c338397ae34bd8e11fb30801ea532ebb3554954d764c2bf49ad9bc19d6e20f/__7_00079_XS.jpg" /> <img width="1600" height="2400" width_o="1600" height_o="2400" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d7118e4153017fa5f558d562a9c7e2e66dda4bc40530e02fba12fcf909193b7f/_1A_00027_XS.jpg" data-mid="40492658" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d7118e4153017fa5f558d562a9c7e2e66dda4bc40530e02fba12fcf909193b7f/_1A_00027_XS.jpg" /> <img width="1600" height="2400" width_o="1600" height_o="2400" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2e2ecf2373e32b5889246bb2c19efb7bf4eec9c9d9f1d1c0096e584905795e33/_19_00068_XS.jpg" data-mid="40492673" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2e2ecf2373e32b5889246bb2c19efb7bf4eec9c9d9f1d1c0096e584905795e33/_19_00068_XS.jpg" /> In the English language, words such as cunt, pussy, asshole and dick are often used as derogatory terms. How do you think language affects the way we perceive and experience sex? Language is such a complicated thing, and it changes over time. It has such power, and yet it’s something that we all wield, often quite carelessly. Even sex-positive people aren’t immune to using these words, though we should probably know better. I try to be careful—but I admit, I do say asshole a lot. But, on the other hand, everyone has an asshole…maybe that makes it less bad? I guess you have to differentiate between intention and impact; and even if our intention isn’t bad, using these terms can affect how we feel and think about bodies, sometimes in subtle ways that are difficult to unpack. So if we take the asshole, for example, sex-negative butt-language, whether it’s intended or not, can reinforce negative messaging and associations we have about the butt: that it’s a dirty place where poo comes out, rather than a place of joy and pleasure. And that kind of negative reputation isn’t fair to our butts. Sadly, the butt is missing in sexual education altogether. If we talk about it at all, it’s usually medicalized and linked with problems like gastrointestinal issues. And while that stuff is important, and also plays a part in anal sex ed, I want to encourage folks to associate assholes with nice things, too. If you really want to transform the way you think about your butt hole, a jewel butt plug is one strategy—they’re so pretty! But there are many ways to foster butt positivity. That’s a lot of what we do at Other Nature. What book is on your nightstand at the moment?The Erotic Mind by Jack Morin—the author of Anal Pleasure &amp; Health. Thank You, Sara. Interview: Maia FrazierImages: Valeria Sambale&nbsp; Next&nbsp;︎ https://bttrstories.com/Chapter-5-BEE-IN Sun, 30 Dec 2018 16:23:14 +0000 BTTR Stories https://bttrstories.com/Chapter-5-BEE-IN Chapter 5BEE IN When did plastic become the envelope for our cuisines? We use it to wrap our fresh butter and cheeses, cover chopped fruits and vegetables, store leftover grains and pulses... While some types of plastic silently make their way into our bodies, others suffocate and drown our rivers and lands. With BEE IN’s line of natural, reusable beeswax wraps, Ieva Sulutaura is fighting to reduce our reliance on synthetic storage containers, disposable snack bags and single-use cling film. Thanks to a little help from Latvian honeybees, her products provide sustainable alternatives for almost all things edible. <img width="2000" height="1334" width_o="2000" height_o="1334" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1728f78ffa6271fca9f4d32972c763c725e32ffb32f7662763c6bd5ed3b81be7/Bee-In_43.jpg" data-mid="33237498" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1728f78ffa6271fca9f4d32972c763c725e32ffb32f7662763c6bd5ed3b81be7/Bee-In_43.jpg" /> The concept is simple Pieces of fabric are cut into squares and bathed in beeswax to create waxy, paper-like sheets of material. Flexible, breathable and durable—once dry—they serve as a protective wrapping for everything from bread and cheeses to lemons and avocados. BEE IN’s online store currently features Ieva’s basic beeswax wrap in three different sizes—small, medium and large—all made from organic and biodegradable OEKO-TEX®-certified cotton fabric, printed with non-toxic inks, and coated with locally-sourced natural beeswax. Not too long ago, Ieva expanded her line to include beeswax snack bags as well as fabric-only produce bags. If rinsed regularly with cold water, sheltered from heat and kept away from fish and meats, BEE IN products can last far beyond their 1-year guarantee. The true ingenuity of BEE IN lies in a substance called propolis, a resinous mixture naturally present in beeswax. Propolis is sometimes also referred to as “bee glue”, as the winged workers commonly use it to build and repair their hives. To produce it, bees combine their saliva with resins won from the buds of the likes of coniferous trees. Propolis is a miraculous natural preservative, and its uses can be traced back to an array of ancient civilisations, such as Ancient Egypt, where it played a key role in the embalming of mummies. Prized by global cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries, modern-day scientists continue to be baffled by its anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties. Upon studying its effects on foods, propolis reveals its ability to help keep our edibles fresh for astonishingly long periods of time.Practical and affordable, yet truly remarkable, BEE IN wraps are often ordered in bulk by returning customers who, amazed by its use, want an entire stock for themselves or delightfully give them away as gifts. Each wrap is accompanied by an instructional card and comes in a hand-sewn, brown paper bag. To avoid incurring unnecessary waste for shipping, Ieva salvages discarded cardboard boxes from the other businesses in her building and uses these to send out orders from her online store. For orders of 50 items or more, she offers the service of designing customised BEE IN wraps free of charge—retailers are given the opportunity to brand their very own wraps for their stores; companies can use their logos to create sustainable corporate gifts. <img width="2000" height="1333" width_o="2000" height_o="1333" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/54285056c2157f545d743e127878d4ecb2348bc0d2c95ceda91ac751bc8472d3/Bee-In_24.jpg" data-mid="31513528" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/54285056c2157f545d743e127878d4ecb2348bc0d2c95ceda91ac751bc8472d3/Bee-In_24.jpg" /> <img width="2000" height="1333" width_o="2000" height_o="1333" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6ec4f60d53f949183d1aac1dd218204662022d5bf130a31ae99363bb2a8a712e/Bee-In_39.jpg" data-mid="31513535" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/6ec4f60d53f949183d1aac1dd218204662022d5bf130a31ae99363bb2a8a712e/Bee-In_39.jpg" /> <img width="2000" height="1333" width_o="2000" height_o="1333" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/aadccfbe7c5c8137de59f2ff5d68721783a6134e2e7cc9318074d2b281e0cd5a/Bee-In_2.jpg" data-mid="31513512" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/aadccfbe7c5c8137de59f2ff5d68721783a6134e2e7cc9318074d2b281e0cd5a/Bee-In_2.jpg" /> <img width="1333" height="2000" width_o="1333" height_o="2000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/c9ad1ec6471379427091e6ded58bb35ea5dc876a17307d60eb206d0c0277ebd3/Bee-In_25.jpg" data-mid="31513529" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/c9ad1ec6471379427091e6ded58bb35ea5dc876a17307d60eb206d0c0277ebd3/Bee-In_25.jpg" /> <img width="1333" height="2000" width_o="1333" height_o="2000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a546f2672018ccab9e99b3d5535d7d887562ac3f33ccbc9e5535306e8290b267/Bee-In_36.jpg" data-mid="31513531" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a546f2672018ccab9e99b3d5535d7d887562ac3f33ccbc9e5535306e8290b267/Bee-In_36.jpg" />Home is where the hive is Stemming from a family of beekeepers, Ieva was exposed to the industry from a young age. With over 250 hives, her father is one of the largest beekeepers in Latvia. Her mother runs a specialist store in Riga selling a wide array of bee products, including candles and soaps. A graphic designer by trade, Ieva never envisioned herself following her parents’ footsteps in the bee industry. She explains how the idea for BEE IN came to fruition, “I always had the problem that cheese would get rock hard in my fridge because I didn’t use plastic foils. Sometimes, foods would go off quickly, and I’d end up having to throw them out, so they’d go to waste. I thought we could try to do something with beeswax because it contains propolis, so we started infusing cotton with it. For the first one and a half years or so, we were using the wraps at home. Then my friends thought it was cool and wanted me to make them some for Christmas. People started asking questions and paying attention to the wraps, so it seemed like it could be a good business idea. I suggested that my mom make them for her store, but she didn’t want to bother with the production process and urged me to give it a try.” At the time, however, Ieva was still employed full-time as a designer. Nevertheless, she thought it was worth a shot if she could find the necessary funding. Several months later, the University of Latvia’s Business Incubator would prove to be her golden ticket. The start-up accelerator programme was providing young entrepreneurs with access to education, resources, mentorship and financial support to help kick-start their business ideas—exactly what she needed to get the ball rolling. BEE IN made the cut, and her buzzing business began to take shape. From day one, Ieva poured her heart and soul into making the most of the Business Incubator’s support framework over a two-year period. She enrolled in every lecture they offered, experimented with numerous sales and marketing channels, held presentations, spoke to the press and most importantly, took every failure as an opportunity to learn—you name it, she went for it. But, by the time her year with the Business Incubator came to an end, exhaustion got the better of her. Ieva finally quit her job as a graphic designer and took two months off to travel around Asia. Her aim was to recharge her batteries, so she could return home to focus all her efforts on building BEE IN. Little did she know, her trip would be overshadowed by a rather serious tropical infection in her leg, which would leave her hospitalized and reliant on care and crutches for months to come. During this difficult time, friends and family provided her with the support she needed to keep the business afloat—helping hands she is deeply grateful for to this day. <img width="1333" height="2000" width_o="1333" height_o="2000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d5d3a143930f03ad13400812fbfd1639d027db427a775cd1cd77fc1498f8f660/Bee-In_41.jpg" data-mid="31513537" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/d5d3a143930f03ad13400812fbfd1639d027db427a775cd1cd77fc1498f8f660/Bee-In_41.jpg" /> <img width="1333" height="2000" width_o="1333" height_o="2000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e847b7a77f9d6b0878a163e69bdd9723825fbfd0179a39056ac50285a205a1c9/Bee-In_3.jpg" data-mid="31513513" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e847b7a77f9d6b0878a163e69bdd9723825fbfd0179a39056ac50285a205a1c9/Bee-In_3.jpg" /> <img width="1333" height="2000" width_o="1333" height_o="2000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/bab97534e547478e2d8b8a7f8784f9330438bbe17ea95cd4c8b78205b9adf3e8/Bee-In_42.jpg" data-mid="31513539" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/bab97534e547478e2d8b8a7f8784f9330438bbe17ea95cd4c8b78205b9adf3e8/Bee-In_42.jpg" /> <img width="1333" height="2000" width_o="1333" height_o="2000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/1211b84841fb8c4a2b813bf067911407c26fac77e4e16be8692e6c2fa98b90b5/Bee-In_11.jpg" data-mid="31513521" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/1211b84841fb8c4a2b813bf067911407c26fac77e4e16be8692e6c2fa98b90b5/Bee-In_11.jpg" /> Learning to teach, teaching to learnCommunication remains one of the biggest challenges Ieva faces in marketing BEE IN’s seemingly simple line of products. Ieva recalls her first experience at hard-selling her first batch of wraps, “Through the Business Incubator, we had an innovation stand in a supermarket in Riga. We had two whole days to present our product to the people, and they were not excited. In those two days, I think we only sold 18 wraps. We had worked two-night shifts in a row to prepare for this day because I thought everybody was going to buy it. I realised that it’s not as easy as selling a table or chair because people don’t know what it is or what you should do with it. It was then that I understood that this product was going to need much more, you cannot just display it in a shop. If we have it in stores, it needs to be explained to shoppers by the people who are working there.” Ieva went on to spend an entire summer travelling around Europe, personally introducing her product to a series of potential business partners in various countries. At markets, she attentively chats to curious passers-by, happy to elaborate on the benefits of and demonstrate her wraps’ use to anyone who is intrigued. Thanks to her efforts of actively building a network of open communication and trust, she is frequently contacted by existing customers who want to know more so they can fully grasp the concept and help spread the word. Despite Ieva’s initial predictions about her target audience and subsequent customer base, it turns out not just “eco-moms” are looking for alternative solutions to Tupperware toxins, food waste and plastic pollution. Today, BEE IN’s ever-growing clientele spans a wide demographic, “I think, with increased governmental regulations and all the information we’re seeing in the media, people everywhere are starting to think more about what they are consuming. They are bringing their own bottles, trying to sort their trash, trying to do something. If you talk to anyone about the classic dry cheese problem, the plastic packaging, or food they’re throwing out, everyone’s quick to see your point.” But Ieva’s efforts by no means stop at reaching out to adults, “We’ve started doing these masterclasses with kids. Children are so interested in doing things by hand, so I’m helping them make their own wraps. They’re writing on them, drawing on them and just generally having a lot of fun with them. I tell them about the bees and why they’re so important to everything around us—how they pollinate the flowers, trees and crops—the kids are always asking questions. Education starts with children. They bring what they’ve learned home to their parents who in turn listen to them.” Every changemaker has their own unique way of planting seeds. Ieva was eager to point out that the key to behaviour is that it’s learned from a young age. She considers it crucial to her cause that she dedicate time and resources in introducing the next generation to ways of fostering healthy relationships with our planet. <img width="2000" height="1333" width_o="2000" height_o="1333" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e045cd13421761721ef6306d9e24c15755c6a41c142d9344615954c12531859b/Bee-In_6.jpg" data-mid="32404994" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e045cd13421761721ef6306d9e24c15755c6a41c142d9344615954c12531859b/Bee-In_6.jpg" /> <img width="2000" height="1333" width_o="2000" height_o="1333" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a1aa7bba593019c6f2f06c98b9fc66e32855d8e8363cb9c8e9f3196b810f3bf6/Bee-In_5.jpg" data-mid="32404987" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a1aa7bba593019c6f2f06c98b9fc66e32855d8e8363cb9c8e9f3196b810f3bf6/Bee-In_5.jpg" /> Going for growthIeva’s long-term vision is to see her products in every household in Europe. And with the media abuzz with the EU’s recent announcement of its 2021 ban on single-use plastics, the prospects for businesses that advocate a more Earth-friendly future are looking bright. In addition to sales from its online store, BEE IN is currently available on shelves in Latvia, Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, Finland, Belgium, Germany, the UK and Spain. Ieva elaborates, “One-and-a-half years ago I spent a summer going to all these different countries, walking into markets and stores, telling people about my product and leaving them samples. It was especially difficult in Spain where people didn’t speak English. This year, Laura Lizuma, a Latvian woman living in San Sebastian, contacted me out of the blue. She told me that she loves my idea and asked if she could become BEE IN ambassador in Spain. Of course I said yes! Since then, she’s already managed to get us an offer from one of the stores I had been to a while back. Thanks to her work, our products are now available in zero waste stores in Barcelona and Valencia, so it shows what a difference it makes if someone who speaks the language goes there.” Likewise, Ieva’s sister is currently acting as BEE IN ambassador to stores in the UK. This model seems to be working quite well, and she is intent on finding more individuals to team up with in other parts of Europe down the road.In 2019, Ieva plans to expand her product range to include bigger sizes. In doing so, she hopes to increase the versatility of her products and appeal to an even wider audience. For the new year, she is particularly excited about a partnership with a Spanish bakery. And why she shouldn’t be? From helping to store large quantities of ingredients to keeping loaves of bread astonishingly fresh, testimonials from partners such as these are perhaps one of the most steadfast and honest ways to grab the attention of new customers. One of Ieva’s biggest obstacles remains the lengthy production process of her products, which is currently limited to around 18 individual wraps per hour Nevertheless, she is happy to keep tinkering with ideas in her small studio and feels confident that she will find a scalable solution along the way. <img width="1333" height="2000" width_o="1333" height_o="2000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3c23119d041c161bfebc7cf3f0c952771546ca451f62df8b21c2459d48a2e51c/Bee-In_48.jpg" data-mid="31513546" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/3c23119d041c161bfebc7cf3f0c952771546ca451f62df8b21c2459d48a2e51c/Bee-In_48.jpg" /> <img width="1333" height="2000" width_o="1333" height_o="2000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/60cd8ea62ab9ad84b97f81757371f7060d17c7ec0efe2c955ee27b66c20c85c3/Bee-In_37.jpg" data-mid="31513533" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/60cd8ea62ab9ad84b97f81757371f7060d17c7ec0efe2c955ee27b66c20c85c3/Bee-In_37.jpg" /> <img width="1333" height="2000" width_o="1333" height_o="2000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/21e35162bff376fc479e4fa1b890380a94185ddfea8ce8014f78361a4d648b51/Bee-In_44.jpg" data-mid="31513542" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/21e35162bff376fc479e4fa1b890380a94185ddfea8ce8014f78361a4d648b51/Bee-In_44.jpg" /><img width="1333" height="2000" width_o="1333" height_o="2000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/dd4c494a9bec58f15e5c59573cff274f041495c9b15ab2168dd40774c1534094/Bee-In_47.jpg" data-mid="31513545" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/dd4c494a9bec58f15e5c59573cff274f041495c9b15ab2168dd40774c1534094/Bee-In_47.jpg" /> Head over to&nbsp;beeinwrap.com to keep your food fresh and your fridge plastic-free!Images: Sabīne Zoltnere Text: Maia FrazierEdit: Sonya FrazierNext ︎